Winston Peters switches from statesman to street-brawler; Julie Anne Genter adds to Greens’ roll of shame - Audrey Young

Foreign Minister Winston Peters delivers a speech to the New Zealand China Council in Auckland on May 3, 2024. Photo / Michael Craig

OPINION

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Welcome to the Politics Briefing. This was the week in which Winston Peters was going to make a serious speech to set the record straight about Aukus and what he meant by there being “powerful reasons” for New Zealand to engage practically with it, as he claimed recently in a joint statement with the US.

But his bid to regain control of the narrative was derailed. First, a silent protester (let’s call her Marie) stole his headlines after she and her anti-Aukus placard were carried from the Legislative Council Chamber on Wednesday night by Parliament’s security guards.

Then yesterday’s headlines were all about the allegedly defamatory statements he made against former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who was brought to New Zealand by the Labour Party to share his views on Aukus, in which the US and UK will supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

Today he has turned his attention to another important speech, to the New Zealand China Council, in which the word Aukus was not used. But just before his speech, his X account tweeted another broadside at critics of Aukus, saying “We should never be accepting of any irrelevant ill-informed shill for some other country to walk into New Zealand and try to tell us what to do.”

Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr says he has launched defamation proceedings against Winston Peters. Photo / Audrey Young

That’s the way he rolls - from statesman and diplomat to street-brawler, all within the same breath.

It is not surprising the Government has been concerned about the case building against joining pillar two of the bigger alliance – dubbed a technology sharing mechanism, but which nonetheless would be attached to the pillar one anti-China alliance. In the absence of detail, opponents have filled the vacuum.

Peters’ Aukus speech itself was a little contradictory. He claimed to be disquieted by a potential end of bipartisanship over joining pillar two, but launched a highly partisan attack on Labour, calling it close-minded, lethargic and incoherent in foreign affairs. He attacked former Prime Minister Helen Clark, New Zealand’s leading Aukus sceptic, suggesting opponents are reliving old anti-nuclear battles and that the concept of an independent foreign policy had a strand of anti-Americanism.

Certainly, the United States’ almost unconditional backing of the war in Gaza has added a new generation to the ranks of anti-American activists in New Zealand, as well as globally.

Essentially, Peters attempted to discredit Aukus critics as people who don’t have the intelligence (the spy kind) to know what they are talking about and to lay the groundwork for a case to join it as a protection against our “malign” world.

He pointed out the obvious - that New Zealand would first need to be invited to join Aukus II and New Zealand would have to consider it. That is not an important rider, as Peters claims. That is axiomatic.

Peters did succeed in walking back the earlier impression it could happen quickly. But what he also made clear is that a condition for joining Aukus II would be a hefty increase in New Zealand’s defence spending - and that could be the real sticking point.

What’s up with Green MPs?

The other big story this week is the extremely bad behaviour of Green MP Julie Anne Genter in the House (see Brickbat below). The bigger question for the Green Party is why so many of its MPs - Green women MPs in particular - have got themselves into trouble.

Quote unquote

“No matter my words today, this Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori” - a truly jaw-dropping start to a speech by Te Pāti Māori’s MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, about repealing section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act.

Micro quiz

Trade Minister Todd McClay has sought advice on what next steps to take against a CPTPP partner country that flouted an arbitrated ruling in a trade dispute with New Zealand. Which country? (Answer below.)

Brickbat

Green MP Julie Anne Genter confronts National's Matthew Doocey in Parliament on May 1, 2024. Photo / Supplied

No contest. It goes to Green MP Julie Anne Genter. Her overbearing behaviour in Parliament on Wednesday night, standing over and shouting in the face of another MP, needs to be censured with the same vigour the Greens and Labour applied to National MP Tim van de Molen last year. No excuses.

Bouquet

Goes to departing Green MP James Shaw for an excellent valedictory speech to cap off an excellent political career. Good timing James.

Latest political news and views

Carr v Peters: Winston Peters has addressed a defamation threat against him from former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr after delivering a speech to the New Zealand China Council.

Genter confrontation: The Green Party has commenced a disciplinary process into the behaviour of MP Julie Anne Genter after she confronted National’s Matt Doocey in Parliament.

Genter claim: A fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie Anne Genter has surfaced.

Opinion - Labour Party: As Labour clocks up six months in Opposition after six years in Government, Audrey Young looks at how the party is trying to rebuild.

China hack: The GCSB knew in 2022 that former New Zealand MPs and an academic were targeted in a China-backed cyber attack, but didn’t tell them.

China hack: New Zealand’s spy agency watchdog is assessing whether to launch an inquiry into how the GCSB handled a China-backed cyber attack against two former MPs and an academic.

Aukus protest: A protester was removed by Parliament security after interrupting Winston Peters’ speech on the benefits of the Aukus pillar two partnership.

Carr v Peters: Winston Peters says he stands by his allegation about former Australian Foreign Minister and Aukus critic Bob Carr relating to Carr’s relationship with China.

‘Structured literacy’ funding: The Government has earmarked $67 million as part of Budget 2024 to transform how our children learn to read.

Ukraine invitation: A delegation of Ukrainian MPs who are visiting Parliament have invited their New Zealand counterparts on a reciprocal visit to Kyiv.

Shaw valedictory: Former Green Party co-leader James Shaw has given his last speech in Parliament, marking the end of nearly nine years as leader and almost a decade as an MP.

Analysis - Budget 2024: The Government needs a good Budget, writes Thomas Coughlan - but it may not be able to deliver one.

Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill: The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill, which would return the historic battle site to the descendants of those who fought there, has passed its first reading in Parliament.

Opinion - MPs’ pay: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon faces his first trial by pay rise while Chris Hipkins is short-changed, writes Claire Trevett.

MPs’ pay: Most MPs will get a pay rise of 10.5 per cent over the next three years under the Remuneration Authority’s review of MPs’ salaries.

Quiz answer: Canada

Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald’s senior political correspondent. She was named Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards in 2023, 2020 and 2018.

For more political news and views, listen to On the Tiles, the Herald’s politics podcast.