10. Hon MURRAY McCULLY (National—East Coast Bays) Link to this
to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
What assistance did he seek from the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, to bring about a stronger relationship between New Zealand and the United States, and what assistance did Mr Downer promise to provide?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Minister of Foreign Affairs) Link to this
I advised Mr Downer, on our meeting at APEC in Korea, that New Zealand was interested in continuing to make progress in our relations with the US, and that any assistance would be appreciated as we paddled our own canoe or waka. Mr Downer undertook to refer to New Zealand’s interest in taking forward its relationship with the US, when he next saw the US Deputy Secretary of State, Bob Zoellick.
Hon Murray McCully Link to this
Did the Minister see the public statement from the Prime Minister on 25 October that New Zealand did not need any help from Australia, because we could “paddle our own canoe”, and why did he ignore her instructions, just over 2 weeks later, and ask Mr Downer for help anyway?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
It is because the Prime Minister would have received erroneous information via the press, which I have no difficulty in proving, and I challenge any of those up in the press gallery to say otherwise. I want to say very clearly that the Prime Minister and I share the same objective of progressing our relations with the US. Is that not great news? It is in the interests of all New Zealanders for the Government to work to further strengthen relationships with all our key partners, including the United States. This requires patient, sustained effort. I make no promises to have this all sorted out by lunchtime.
R Doug WoolertonWhat report can the Minister give the House on his work to advance New Zealand’s interests since his appointment?
Hon Dr Nick Smith
Madam SPEAKERRt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
I know he suffers from the condition of recognition hunger, but he should not be dominating proceedings here. I have represented the New Zealand interest successfully at the APEC ministerial meetings, and at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Foreign Ministers meetings. I have participated in ministerial consultation with the European Union presidency, and have undertaken a bilateral visit to the United Kingdom, and, knowing as I do people like Andy Irvine, I was personally invited by him to the rugby. Without exception, the 21 counterparts that I met from around the world warmly congratulated me on my appointment, and said they looked forward to seeing me again in the near future.
Gerry BrownleeCan the Minister, as a hard-working and conscientious Foreign Minister, itemise which official engagements or which official discussions he had relating to his ministry during his visit to Scotland, a visit during which he was able to find time in his busy and pressing schedule to view the All Blacks at Murrayfield from the royal box; and does he stand by his plea to the New Zealand media, made just 1 day before he attended the rugby at Murrayfield, to give him a second chance and stop criticising him for taking the baubles of office?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
I am not concerned about members of Parliament who report the erroneous comments of journalistic meerkats. The reality is that I purely pointed out that I had hardly got the job, and surely the media would give me a chance to try to do this job. However, I know that I was overly optimistic in that respect. But let me make this very clear: I could set out all 21 meetings that I have had in respect of overseas counterparts, including the meetings in Glasgow and in Edinburgh, and including meetings with business groups that relate to New Zealand interests. I might add that that was over the weekend. But, more important, I was not at both the rugby league and the rugby, as some members of the media again reported.
Hon Murray McCully Link to this
Can the Minister tell the House which is the official foreign policy position of the Government: the Prime Minister’s position that the relationship with the United States does not need to be improved, and that we do not want any help from Australia; or his position that the relationship does need to be improved, and that we would appreciate some help from Australia?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
Let me just say that the Prime Minister agrees with me, and I happen to agree with the Government’s position, that it is in the interests of our foreign policy that we improve our relations with every nation—in particular, those that are old trading partners and allies.
Hon Murray McCully Link to this
Could the Minister explain to the House why, if he and the Government are so unified on this matter, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Cullen, told the House 2 weeks ago that the Minister of Foreign Affairs had not sought assistance from the Australian Minister, when, in fact, he had sought assistance, as he has just confirmed today?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
I am not certain why certain members of this Parliament want to engage in what are simple verbal semantics, but the reality is—[ Interruption] It is purely semantics. I made it very clear to Mr Downer that if there were discussions in negotiation with the United States, and New Zealand came up, I would appreciate it if he would put a good word in for us. Which person in my position would not do that? Which Foreign Minister in a similar circumstance would not do that? I want to refer to what some correspondents now think of this, and I will read from an article where a commentator states: “I am getting heartily sick of the childish nonsense that the ACT party and the National Party have been indulging in ever since the election.”
Hon Murray McCully Link to this
Can I ask the Minister to explain the public statement made by his colleague Mr Goff that he had told the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Downer: “Policies from Winston will not be policies spun off the top of anybody’s head, but the policy of a Labour-led Government.”, and can he tell the House whether his request for help from Mr Downer was, to use Mr Goff’s terms, the policy of the Labour-led Government or policies spun off the top of somebody’s head?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
It was made very clear at the time this Government was formed and the various portfolios were decided upon that the Foreign Affairs policy of this country would be that of the will of Parliament as expressed by Cabinet. It is pretty axiomatic, really, when we think about it that way, and I do not get—
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
We can see why the member did not last long as deputy leader of the National Party, can we not? In fact, how long did he last—did he make 48 hours? No. [ Interruption]
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
The simple, plain fact is that the policy articulated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs is the policy decided by Cabinet, and it always has been.
Hon Murray McCully Link to this
Can I ask the Minister whether he found it helpful that his colleague Mr Goff chose to reveal to the New Zealand media that Mr Downer had asked for an explanation as to the role that the Minister plays as our new Minister of Foreign Affairs; if so, in what way did Mr Goff’s revelations to the media assist with our representation overseas?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
Again, this is in line with certain media reports and certain interpretations. For example, the fact that one Green member in Europe—in all those Parliaments—asked the question was painted as “Peters in trouble in Europe”. There is a certain pattern behind this. Frankly, in the case of Mr Downer, he did ask me the same question as to how we think we will get on in the next 3 years as a Government, and I said that, given who we are facing, we will roar in.
Hon Murray McCully Link to this
Can the Minister inform the House whether the Prime Minister’s actions in calling into question his attempt to improve the relationship between New Zealand and the United States have simply served to reinforce the view he expressed in this House on 15 May 2003 that Helen Clark is “the only politician in the Western World who can talk on foreign affairs with both her feet in her mouth”; if not, why not?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
I can understand why someone who is the only member of this House who can eat a banana sideways would be asking that question, but the reality is that it is 2005 and things have moved on. I also say that, in Trans Tasman, that member promised there would be fireworks in the House today, and I want to know why we have just faced a damp squib. I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I have looked at the questions today and I want to know whether you vetoed any questions on Foreign Affairs from either the ACT party or the National Party, because if that was the fireworks that were promised, then I am going to ask the Prime Minister for a new job.