NZ foreign minister criticised (a paleocon as new Foreign Minister for New Zealand)

BBC News ^ | Tuesday, 18 October 2005 | news

[NZerFromHK]

The controversial appointment of New Zealand's new foreign minister has been criticised both at home and abroad.

Winston Peters, head of the New Zealand First Party, has been appointed to the position despite making a series of outspoken comments against immigration.

Opposition National Party leader Don Brash said the decision to give the job to Mr Peters would do "huge damage for our international reputation".

The Australian newspaper described the appointment as a "bad joke".

Sydney's Daily Telegraph described Mr Peters as a "diplomatic nightmare", and other commentators said that by choosing Mr Peters as the foreign affairs minister, New Zealand was sending a negative message to its Asian neighbours.

Mr Peters has made many outspoken remarks against immigration, particularly from Asia.

Early in this year's election campaign, he warned against the "militant underbelly" of the small Muslim community in New Zealand.

In 2002 he said the country was at risk because of an influx "of people whose views are formed by alien cultures and rigid religious practices".

But on Tuesday he said that no foreign leader had ever questioned his views on immigration.

"I've been to China, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and a whole host of other countries. Never did one leader or commentator ever [raise] that issue with me," he is quoted as telling national radio.

Despite the criticism of Mr Peter's appointment, Ms Clark defended her decision, saying that as a senior member of parliament, "he certainly has the authority and stature to be the minister of foreign affairs, and that is the decision we have reached".

But analysts say she may have been left with little choice but to appoint him to the post, amid fierce horse-trading necessary to secure her an overall majority in parliament.

'Similar views'

Ms Clark's Labour Party won 50 of the 121 seats in parliament in the tightly fought 17 September elections.

As a result of negotiations with minor parties, she finally announced on Monday that she had made a deal with three other parties - the Progressive Party, the United Future Party and New Zealand First - to form a coalition.

Mr Peters, as head of New Zealand First, was named minister of foreign affairs.

He will be responsible for foreign policy but will not handle refugee and trade issues, Ms Clark was quoted as saying on Monday.

He will also not be a member of the Cabinet, where most of his policy decisions will have to be approved.

Despite his criticism of Labour's immigration policies, Mr Peters' party has echoed Labour's anti-nuclear stance and its refusal to commit troops to the US-led coalition in Iraq.

"His views on foreign policy are very similar to those of Labour," Ms Clark insisted on Monday.

[NZerFromHK]

As people may not be aware, in all other Western countries outside the United States the Left is certainly more leftist and more powerful, but the pendulum also swings wilder and a right-winger could be really very right-wing as opposed to being merely conservative.

Winston Peters is definitely a paleocon on immigration, sensible on the issue of Muslims in NZ, and socially conservative that he opposes prostitution legalization, gambling relaxations, and gay marriage, but he is definitely weak on the economy and the bigger issue of WOT and attitudes towards the United States as you can see from the article above.

On at least half of the issues he is this country's equivalent of Pat Buchanan. Now he is the new Foreign Minister of New Zealand.

[NZerFromHK]

Ping!

[NH Liberty]

Interesting...

Is he anti-American, in general, or only in the matter of the WOT?

[Lessingham]

Very glad that he sees the Islamic threat in New Zealand. Seems like he could make a great Prime Minister some day.

[NZerFromHK]

I think he is anti-American in both the old-fashioned cultural sense (the old British High Tory type) coupled with some peacenik feel-good policies such as banning nuclear-powered warships to the country.

New Zealand's foreign policy consensus is unfortunately a bizarre mix of leftist and conservative platforms to Americans: we as a country are peacenik, support UN and every "international organization" under the sun but promote free trade and breaking down tariffs and trade barriers across the globe.

[watsonfellow]

the most interesting thing about this is that this man will be the foreign minister....yet he won't be a member of the cabinet?

Excuse me?

This is odd.

[NZerFromHK]

Yep, this is the weirdest thing I have ever heard. I can't recall anything like this ever happened as the foreign minister is supposedly one of the most important ministers and by default must be in the cabinet.

[Fred Nerks]

"The only politician in the Western world who can talk on foreign affairs with both feet in her mouth ... thanks to her brilliant performance, New Zealand is now a staunch ally of possibly France." - Peters poking fun at Prime Minister Helen Clark.

She must have been desperate.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/10/18/1129401225653.html

[NZerFromHK]

A leftist ALP government trying to win favours from a nationalist and immigration-restrictionist (Pauline Hanson perhaps?).

Bizarre. The government will perhaps limp to the next election of which it will suffer a rout.

[Fred Nerks]

17 Oct 2005
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Media Release

NEW ZEALAND FIRST TO PROVIDE SUPPLY AND CONFIDENCE TO LABOUR-LED GOVERNMENT
The Rt Hon Winston Peters today announced that New Zealand First will remain out of coalition government whilst agreeing to a confidence and supply agreement with the Labour-led government.


"The primary consideration for New Zealand First’s caucus and the party board of directors was the need to ensure a durable and stable government.


"To this end, New Zealand First has ensured that the potential for an unstable ‘Mexican standoff’ in Parliament is removed and a clear majority can be established on confidence and supply motions.


"New Zealand First is committed to ensuring that this government will last its full term - to November 2008.


"The agreement provides the opportunity for New Zealand First to deliver to its supporters on a range of key policy initiatives heralded during the 2005 election campaign.


"This is a positive arrangement that highlights the potential of MMP for a party to provide both stable government and deliver to their constituents. We look forward to making this work over the next three years," concluded Mr Peters.

http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/content/display_item.php?t=0&i=2108

A 'confidence and supply agreement'? How binding is that?

[NZerFromHK]

Basically what it means is that the government enjoys his (and the NZF party as a whole) support until the day when it supports something which NZF doesn't. Then all hell breaks loose and we could go to the polls again.

[ncountylee]

With Helen Clark as Prime Minister my heart goes out to the conservatives of New Zealand.

[Fred Nerks]

Yes, that's what I thought it sounded like...one heck of a way to run a country, lol!
Oh well, the scenery is lovely.

[wideawake]

He's certainly a paleocon, insofar as he dislikes America.

[Brian Allen]

<< With Helen Clark as Prime Minister my heart goes out to the conservatives of New Zealand. >>

Relax your heart.

We've all escaped.

All of those New Zealand born conservatives who are not already American, like me, are already Australian.

'Cept one.

And we're still workin' on Shaggy.

[Brian Allen]

<< He's certainly a paleocon, insofar as he dislikes America. >>

Although he's a populist peanut, better known for his habitual drunkedness, dodging of taxi fares and regular rorting of his parlimentarian's perquesites that for his intellectual output, I'm not at all convinced Mr Peters is in any serious way an anti-American.

And he is for sure extremely anti New Zealand's assinine and Luddite anti-nuclear power policies.

I've heard Mr Peters point to the truth that the oncology department of New Zealand's Auckland Hospital has a higher radiation output and Geiger Counter reading than has the entire United States Navy nuclear fleet!

[Paladin2b]

He's certainly a paleocon, insofar as he dislikes America.

Quite the contrary. In other interviews (see today's Sydney Morning Herald, for example) he's on record as saying that apart from immigration, his first priority as Foreign Minister is to rebuild the ANZUS alliance and build bridges back to Washington. Peters could turn out to be a pleasant surprise for America: a true friend.

[Androcles]

He's a show pony - Minister in name only - they've given him the title, the ministerial limousine and the free trips abroad but they'll already be getting ready if he tries to make any foreign policy decisions.

He's more energetic than Jonathan Hunt (Our former speaker who over 40 years in Parliament earned nothing more than an enormous girth and the nickname "Minister for wine and cheese" for his eating habits) but shares similar habits. Winston is also known as the Member for Coutenay place, the main nightclub drag in Wellington.

He's a charming battling politician of the old school who thrives on randomness, conspiracy and hysteria. Great in opposition but terrible in government (or in alliance with them).

[shaggy eel]

[shaggy eel]

,,, I'm sure Winston's going to be a wonderful representative for a land of lost opportunities.