Peters faces calls to be sacked after ‘racist’ remarks aimed at Green MP

MPs from Labour and the Green Party are calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to sack Winston Peters as Foreign Affairs Minister after he made “racist” comments towards a Green MP.

Luxon, in a statement, condemned Peters’ remarks as the latest in a “long track record of inappropriate attention-seeking comments” and encouraged people to vote for National.

During Peters’ general debate speech about the Covid pandemic in the House yesterday, Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan heckled the New Zealand First leader by asking him if he was vaccinated.

Peters shot back, telling Xu-Nan to “go back to your own country”.

“That’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here, all right?” he said.

“This is called a democracy, unlike what you’re used to.”

Peters went on: “Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth, and maybe you’ll learn something about the political system of New Zealand.”

Xu-Nan was born in China but moved to New Zealand as a child in 1994.

China’s ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong noted the comments in a social media post today, saying a “statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else”.

Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan says Winston Peters should be held accountable for his remarks. Photo / VNP

• China's ambassador weighs in as Peters tells MP to 'go back to your own country'

Speaking to reporters at Parliament, Xu-Nan said Peters’ comments represented “repeated behaviour” and “racism”, calling on Luxon to hold him accountable.

He confirmed the party was considering whether to write to Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee about the matter.

Asked whether Peters should remain the Foreign Minister, Xu-Nan said that was a matter for Luxon.

However, Xu-Nan’s Green Party colleague Tamatha Paul was more definitive when asked if she would have sacked Peters.

“I would. Racism is unacceptable.

“You can’t go around saying things like that, like, it’s not the 70s anymore, Winston Peters.”

Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said Peters shouldn’t continue as Foreign Minister in light of his comments.

“Those comments are so incredibly racist and offensive, and you cannot make those types of comments as a minister, as a Cabinet minister, but particularly as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.”

She argued the remarks were “absolutely damaging” to New Zealand’s relationship with China, noting the country was New Zealand’s largest trading partner. Trade Minister Todd McClay denied the matter would have an impact on the relationship with China.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters in the House. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Luxon’s statement claimed Peters’ comments were designed to “get the media and other politicians to talk about him instead of the issues Kiwis are facing”.

“To our Kiwi-Chinese community, National and I back you, and to every New Zealander who wants representatives focused on the issues that matter to you, rather than attention-seeking for cheap headlines, Party Vote National.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Act leader David Seymour echoed Luxon in branding the comments as “attention-seeking behaviour” and felt it prudent not to give them oxygen.

He acknowledged they were inappropriate comments for a Foreign Minister to make, but noted Peters was speaking in his capacity as NZ First leader.

Peters denied accusations he had been racist, saying those claims were “drivel”.

“I’m defending our democracy and I’m proud of it.

“China doesn’t have one. If the ambassador wants to talk to me about that, I’m happy to share it with him as well.”

Brownlee addressed the matter at the beginning of Question Time today, saying the comments were inappropriate but explaining he hadn’t taken action as it was a “tit-for-tat situation” given Xu-Nan’s initial heckling and he felt it didn’t warrant stopping House business, particularly given no MP in the House formally objected to the comments at the time.

Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.