Craig
McCulloch, Acting Political
Editor
Winston Peters has been accused of “pure
racism” in Parliament by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who
has called out National ministers for failing to combat or
challenge it.
The Greens say Peters is scapegoating
migrants, while ACT’s David Seymour – his own Cabinet
colleague – says Peters is simply seeking
attention.
The condemnation came following
Parliament’s Question Time on Wednesday when the NZ First
leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan
heritage.
Green MP Teanau Tuiono had used the word
“Aotearoa” to refer to New Zealand while asking questions
about climate aid in the Pacific.
It prompted Peters
to interrupt: “Why is [the minister] answering a question
from someone who comes from Rarotonga to a country called
New Zealand -“
Speaker Gerry Brownlee cut him off to
object to noise from other MPs in the debating
chamber.
Hipkins then leapt to his feet: “Members in
this House are equal. For a member of the House to stand up
and question whether someone is entitled to ask a question
because of their country of origin is pure racism, and you
should’ve stopped him in the beginning.”
Brownlee said
he did not hear Peters’ remark, but would review the
transcription later.
Peters then completed his
question, asking why somebody from Rarotonga had decided
“without any consultation with the New Zealand people” to
change the country’s name.
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In response, Brownlee said
that was “not an acceptable question at all”.
“I want
that to be the last time that those sort of questions are
directed so personally at members of this House,” Brownlee
said.
Tuiono has both Māori and Cook Islands Māori
heritage but was born in New Zealand.
Hipkins calls
out ‘ugly side’ to politics
In a speech to Parliament
shortly later, Hipkins decried an “ugly side to New Zealand
politics”, calling out “outright race-baiting” and “direct
racism” being expressed in the debating
chamber.
“Attacks on our Chinese and Asian communities
in New Zealand, attacks on our Indian communities in New
Zealand, and just today, attacks on whether those who have
Pasifika heritage are entitled to ask questions in this
house.
“And what have we heard from the government
side on those attacks? Absolutely nothing.”
Hipkins
said National ministers needed to “combat and challenge that
racism” during this year’s election campaign, saying it was
“totally unacceptable” for them to “say nothing and do
nothing”.
“They are quite happy to stand by while
members of their own government attack our Chinese
community, our Indian community, our Pasifika community,
migrants to New Zealand who work damn hard and contribute to
New Zealand, and it’s an absolute disgrace.”
Hipkins
said government ministers should celebrate diversity and not
cast aspersions on it.
Speaking to reporters later,
Hipkins said Peters’ behaviour “had no place in government
and Parliament” – but he still would not say whether Labour
would be prepared to work with NZ First after the
election.
“I’m going make judgements about those
things closer to the election, but I’ll call out bad
behaviour when I see it.”
Greens call Peters ‘Temu
Trump’, Peters says he doesn’t care
Addressing
reporters outside Parliament, Tuiono said Peters was using
“culture wars” to distract from the real harm he was causing
New Zealanders.
“Just like Trump, he’s not very good
with geography,” he said. “He just needs to get an atlas. A
bilingual one preferably.”
His Green colleague Ricardo
Menéndez March said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had
failed to show leadership by allowing Peters – “a Temu
Trump” – to spread anti-migrant sentiment.
“It’s
migrant scapegoating… it’s emboldens people outside of
these four walls who wish to cause harm on our migrant
communities,” Menéndez March said.
Speaking
afterwards, ACT leader and Deputy Prime Minister David
Seymour said he would never make such comments but would
leave others to judge them for themselves.
“Do I like
those comments? No. Would I make those comments? No. But I
think if we all go on a 2019-style witch-hunt, we’re
actually just fuelling it,” he said.
“If we all get
ourselves in a lather, giving them the attention that they
want, then that’s just as bad.”
In response, Peters
told reporters Hipkins was talking “utter nonsense” and he
did not care about Seymour’s views.
“How can somebody
from another country who’s come to New Zealand decide to
change my country’s name?” Peters said.
When told that
Tuiono was actually born in New Zealand, Peters said,
regardless, the Green MP claimed to be a “Cook
Islander”.
“I would never go to the Cook Islands and
start changing their name, would I?”
Peters said he
was regularly being “literally mobbed” by New Zealanders on
matters like the use of the word Aotearoa.
“I’m not
indulging fools here. Let me tell you something: stand back
and watch the polls
go.”
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