Winston’s way

He’s long been New Zealand’s most controversial politician, and Tasmanians this week have the chance to hear the views of outspoken Winston Raymond Peters. This is the man who has had a turbulent career in the Kiwi corridors of power – variously Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maori Affairs, Racing, Senior Citizens, founder/leader of the New Zealand First Party, but now out of Parliament.

He will be drawing on these experiences as one of the key speakers at the Institute of Public Administrators Australian national conference at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hobart on Thursday and Friday when the workings of minority government will be under scrutiny.

But beyond the conference room the local media could (or should) be expected to knock on his door for an interview. There would be much ground to cover, and plenty to scope on one topic alone. For he has been outspoken as a long-standing critic of his country’s immigration policies. Consider just a few examples of his utterances:

“The government’s lax immigration laws are changing the face of our country forever. At this rate, it won’t take long for New Zealand to be unrecognisable.” This statement was headlined “New Zealand – The Last Asian Colony”. And: “We are being dragged into the status of an Asian colony and it is time that New Zealanders were placed first in their own country.” And: “Frankly, all this immigration (to New Zealand), wholesale as it is and unparalleled anywhere in the world, has not closed the skills gap, has not increased our export base, has not increased our wealth.”

So how does he see the complex issue of immigration in the Australian context?

Our journos would, no doubt, like to throw him questions on this. But they should also be warned – he’s not the reporter’s best friend. Anything but, it seems, and has been summarised as having a confrontational, fraught relationship with the media. Here’s his declaration from a few years back on some of his country’s media commentators: “Smart alec, arrogant, quiche eating, chardonnay drinking, pinky finger pointing snobbery, fart blossom.”

Just this month he was in another conflict when answering a woman reporter’s question of would a New Zealand First candidate for a seat in the forthcoming New Zealand elections be a spokesman “for any particular issue?” Peters response was reported as: “God, you dick.” As in “dickhead”. He later said it was unthinkable that he would use the language described and would never call a woman a “dick”. So he asked for a copy of the tape, assembled his own team to pass judgment, and that their view was unanimous – this being that his actual phrase was “crickey dick”. All a matter of vowel sound, he claimed.

Should a Hobart interview eventuate with him reporters might punt for another option – next month’s World Cup rugby in Kiwiland. He can talk with more than your usual pollie’s knowledge of, and actual experience in the sport, having played for the Maori All Blacks and captaining the Auckland Maori team. It’s also a family experience – a brother was a Junior All Black and double provincial representative, while another brother also played for a province.