Peters was asked via Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) from the Greens what “instructions, directions or advice” he or his office had given his department to “roll back, rescind, or repeal” any DEI policies and practices before March 7, when the New Zealand First leader announced the bill.
He replied: “None”, according the response seen by the Herald.
Another question was what advice, reports or information Peters had received on DEI policies or practices before March 7.
Greens MP Francisco Hernandez also asked other NZ First ministers the same questions. Responses from Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones, Customs Minister Casey Costello, and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson were similar to Peters’.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said he had sent no directions or instructions to MFAT to roll back DEI. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
The bill to rid DEI ideology from the Public Service Act is a New Zealand First proposal, rather than a Government one. It would end “woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector”, Peters said.
Since announcing the bill — which has still to be drawn from Parliament’s ballot before being debated — Peters has on several occasions said he is concerned about the “woke agenda” of the previous Government and its impact on Mfat and New Zealand’s diplomacy.
He said earlier this month, after launching the bill, that since taking office he had made clear to Mfat that it should “reflect the agenda of the current New Zealand Government”.
But Hernandez said the answers to the WPQs appear to show Peters had “not done any of his homework”.
“You would at the very least have expected some sort of effort to seek advice on what things are going on,” he said.
The Green MP believed Peters was “trying to distract everyone from what’s really going on and what the very real failures of this Government have been”.
“This kind of culture war they’re trying to start fundamentally goes against the values of New Zealand. What’s he trying to do is import, ironically for a party that calls itself New Zealand First, these foreign culture wars,” Hernandez said.
He said it was “very obvious” Peters was trying to channel the same energy as US President Donald Trump.
“We know that Government works better when a range of voices and perspectives are included. Whether it’s disabled, Māori, Pasifika, rainbow, working class or other marginalised communities, the Greens stand with them against bad actors seeking to import foreign culture wars to distract from their failures to deliver for people and planet.”
Green MP Francisco Hernandez said Peters was trying to distract from real issues.
The Herald asked Peters’ office why he had not sent any instructions, directions or advice to his ministry given he had said he had opposed the “woke agenda” of the previous Government since he took office.
In a statement, a spokesman for Peters just reiterated that opposition and that the minister had regular meetings with Mfat.
“In those meetings over the past 16 months, and through the team of ministry officials seconded to his office, he has regularly made clear his expectations about the importance of the ministry’s activities being consistent with the priorities of the Coalition Government.”
After launching the legislation, the Herald asked Peters whether he was comfortable with Mfat advertising a “Tikanga Lead” role. He responded by saying Mfat knew “exactly what’s expected of them” and that the role would not be filled.
A page on the Mfat website about “diversity and inclusion”, that highlights the ministry’s strategy “to have a workforce that is responsive to the needs of New Zealanders” and a “gender and ethnic pay action plan”, remains live.
“We understand a review of the ministry’s website for outdated material is under way,” a Peters spokesman previously said.
Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.
