Latest news with #WinstonPeters
1News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- 1News
Swarbrick kicked out of Parliament after refusing to apologise
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has again been kicked out of Parliament after refusing to apologise for a comment she made yesterday in the House. Yesterday, Swarbrick was kicked out of Parliament during an urgent debate on recognising Palestine as a state. The debate was called after Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the Government was weighing up its position on the issue. In recent times, the UK, Canada, France and Australia have announced plans to recognise Palestine as a state. During the debate on Tuesday, Swarbrick said MPs could "grow a spine" and support her bill which would impose sanctions on Israel. ADVERTISEMENT Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick, left, and Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee. (Source: 1News/Getty) In response, Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee said: "That is completely unacceptable to make that statement. Withdraw it and apologise." When she refused, Brownlee said she would have to leave for the rest of the week and removed her from the House. However, Brownlee later signalled he would again give Swarbrick the opportunity to apologise in the House today, where she then could avoid being barred. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including the legal fight to get a New Zealand woman and her child out of US immigration detention, sliding house prices, and Taylor Swift's big reveal. (Source: 1News) Returning to the House today, Swarbrick refused to withdraw and apologise, and at first, didn't leave when asked. Brownlee then called a vote to name her, which the majority of MPs supported. Swarbrick then removed herself from the House. ADVERTISEMENT Peters: 'Wasn't offensive enough to be booted' New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. (Source: 1News) Earlier, when heading into the House, NZ First leader Winston Peters spoke out against Swarbrick's removal. "I didn't agree with one thing she said, but it wasn't offensive enough to be booted out," he said. "If you can have John Key say 'get some guts', or accept the C-word — which was outrageous — then how can you be offensive in that context? "Parliament is a robust theatre for debate. People have serious emotional concerns about what they believe in, and to take away the essence... about the emotional concern you are talking about, is to neuter the place, and that's bad for New Zealand's democracy." Netanyahu 'lost the plot' – Luxon ADVERTISEMENT Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. (Source: 1News) On his way into the House, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon issued fresh criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in the war in Gaza. 'I think what's happening in Gaza is utterly appalling. I think Netanyahu has gone way too far, I think he has lost the plot." Luxon said overnight attacks on Gaza City were "utterly unacceptable". 'He is not listening to the international community, and that is unacceptable.' Labour leader Chris Hipkins was today asked whether he would agree with Luxon's comment on Netanyahu. "Probably, yes, actually, that's probably quite an astute observation." Hipkins said he took a moment to pause before answering, looking surprised, because of the "strength of the language". ADVERTISEMENT 'Uncharted territory' – Swarbrick Swarbrick speaking to reporters today. (Source: 1News) After leaving the House, Swarbrick said Brownlee had "been explicit about the fact he was the member who took personal offence" to her comment yesterday. "We are in uncharted territory. As far as I am aware, there is no situation where a Speaker has asked for somebody to withdraw and apologise, that person has refused to apologise, then been ordered to leave the House, i.e. being punished, the person has complied, and then the Speaker has sought to reopen the issue the very next day. "It would appear that now we are in a position where things are being completely made up." When asked about Luxon's comments on Netanyahu, Swarbrick said: "The Government has yet to put any meaningful substance behind their words." She said the very least the Government could do was "apply the exact same approach they did to Russia" – again referencing her bill to apply sanctions to Israel.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Decoding non-answers on Palestine
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in the House. File photo. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Analysis - Parliament held an urgent debate on Tuesday on whether to recognise Palestine as a state. Many of the speeches were fiery and the Hansard record is worth reading. Strong party positions were outlined by Simon Court (ACT), Vanushi Walters and others (Labour), Chlöe Swarbrick (Green) and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Te Pāti Māori). New Zealand First's only speaker, Winston Peters, spoke aggressively, though more as minister of foreign affairs than party leader. The only party that made no speeches at all was National. This was unusual for an urgent debate. The eight calls in an urgent debate are not proportionally allocated, but National MPs usually speak regardless of whether it is a National minister who initially responds. If nothing else, this uses up available Opposition speech time. It may be that the National Party has not managed an internal consensus on Palestine and was not prepared to reveal internal division or put forward a message some members wouldn't support. Other parties did not worry about laying out their opinions. ACT's speaker was the most fervently against statehood. Labour, Green and Te Pāti Māori MPs all made strong speeches. So, what does the National Party, or indeed the prime minister think about Palestine and Gaza? That is still uncertain, though an attempt to tease it out was made in Question Time, when Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick asked Christopher Luxon a series of questions on Gaza. Both answers and non-answers can both be instructive. Below are the questions and answers from that interchange and a later one, with brief commentary. Chlöe Swarbrick: Does he agree with the Minister of Foreign Affairs that "There are a broad range of strongly held views within our government", and, if so, who in the government is opposing recognising Palestinian Statehood? Christopher Luxon: There are a broad range and strongly held views across the whole of our society and across the whole of New Zealand and, as you would expect, across this Chamber there will be a variance of views as well. Note: You will notice that the prime minister didn't answer that question. That is not newsworthy - Luxon usually avoids directly answering Opposition questions in the House. He usually segues to prepared talking points, using phrases like "what I can say is", or "I'll just say to the member". The questions he receives are often very political (and have few good answers), so his avoidance is understandable. Some of Swarbrick's queries were more straightforward though, offering openings for statesmanlike or informed answers - like the next one. Chlöe Swarbrick: What is the harm, if any, of recognising Palestinian statehood? Christopher Luxon: Well, it's been a longstanding position of successive New Zealand Governments since 1947 to recognise the creation of a State for Israel and a State of Palestine where two peoples can live together in peace and security. That has been a longstanding position of the New Zealand Governments of different political parties. The issue is that we need to, as we've said, as you've heard the foreign Minister say, and it's been a longstanding position-it's a matter of when, not if. But the immediate challenge for the situation in the Middle East is, of course, Hamas must release hostages. As a terrorist organisation, they must release those hostages. Secondly, Israel must allow unfettered humanitarian access into what is an absolute catastrophe, and there must be a ceasefire and diplomacy and dialogue. Note: The next question was politically couched, but still afforded options for a good answer. Chlöe Swarbrick. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Chlöe Swarbrick: Is the prime minister aware that Israeli hostages have been offered back multiple times and Israel currently holds approximately 10,000 Palestinian prisoners? Christopher Luxon: Sorry, I'm not going to respond to that question. That's not what I've been briefed on. Notes: Swarbrick appealed to the Speaker about that non-answer to a question she argued was seeking "to tease out the logic that [Luxon was] using with regard to government decision-making". Speaker Gerry Brownlee ruled in Luxon's favour, saying: "The prime minister said he wasn't prepared to answer it because it wasn't within the scope of the briefing that he's received." Parliament's rules do allow a few reasons why ministers might refuse to answer, including not giving a legal opinion, or an answer not being in the public interest. Not being briefed is not in the list, although some ministers do sometimes admit a lack of knowledge and offer to come back with a response. The next question felt like it was straight from a morning newspaper's five-minute quiz. Chlöe Swarbrick: Is the prime minister aware, then, of our obligations under the genocide convention, and, if so, what are they? Christopher Luxon: Yes, and what I'd say to the member is I would be very careful throwing terms like "genocide" around. It's very important that the right bodies that we support under the international rules-based system - the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court - are those closest and are the appropriate bodies which we fully support to make those determinations. Notes: For extra quiz points - signatories to the UN's Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (including New Zealand) - undertake to prevent as well as punish genocide. It's there in the name. Strictly speaking that answer could have stopped at "yes", because ministers are only required to address any one leg of a two-legged question. However, saying yes, and then pivoting away does make one wonder whether the prime minister was worried about getting the second leg wrong. Admitting to an obligation to prevent genocide might have made for a difficult follow-up question. Chlöe Swarbrick: Is the prime minister finally willing to say that Israel's slaughter and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza is a genocide, and, if not, what does he know that Holocaust and genocide scholars don't? Note: Like many questions in Question Time this one actually falls outside the very strict parameters for questions (which do not allow the inclusion of supposition or argument). On this occasion ACT leader David Seymour intervened with an objection to the Speaker. Swarbrick reworded the question. Chlöe Swarbrick: What does the prime minister know that Holocaust and genocide scholars apparently do not when they call what is currently occurring in Gaza a "genocide"? Christopher Luxon: Well, what I know is that there's a humanitarian catastrophe happening in the Middle East. What I know is that we want to see peace and stability and security reign in the Middle East, and, for that to happen, Hamas must release hostages immediately. What happened on 7 October from a terrorist organisation inflicting 1200 deaths on innocent civilians was unacceptable. We are also saying, clearly - and we've done it through a number of calls with other countries as well - that we want Israel to give unfettered humanitarian access. We do not want more military action. We need to make sure that we actually see diplomacy and dialogue reign in the Middle East. Note: Anyone managing to tease out a solid party or government position on Palestinian statehood from that interchange would need to be a talented haruspex. It is worth noting that during Question Time the prime minister does not speak as a party leader, but as leader of the Executive. Previous prime ministers have at times made observations as individuals or have outlined the varying perspectives that coalition partners bring to an issue. On this issue I expect there is significant diversion of thought, both within and between the coalition member parties. Possibly it is creditable that the prime minister is not seeking to impose a perspective on his own MPs as leader. Later in Question Time Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer also focused on Palestine. Most of her questions were not well phrased and were disallowed, but the first two added a little to the picture. Speaker Gerry Brownlee. Photo: RNZ Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Why is the prime minister allowing the government to delay recognition of the State of Palestine until September? Christopher Luxon: Well, it's a government that wants to weigh up its position over the next month. We acknowledge that some of our close partners have changed their position; others have not. We will work our way through the process, as we outlined on Tuesday. Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: What criteria does the prime minister believe Palestinians have not met that is preventing his government from immediately recognising their humanity and statehood on Wednesday? Christopher Luxon: Well, as I explained earlier, it's been a longstanding, bipartisan position that New Zealand supports a two-state solution. It goes right back to 1947 and the partition. We want to see a State of Israel and a State of Palestine living peacefully, side by side. But we are going to review and weigh up our position, as we articulated, and it's an important issue, it's a complex issue, and we'll work through it sensibly and seriously. Note: Luxon avoided answering several out-of-order questions that followed on the Israeli Defence Force having killed Al Jazeera journalists, whether the IDF's actions undermined Israel's own statehood, and what would be left to protect once the government makes a decision about statehood. * RNZ's The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Enjoy our articles or podcast at RNZ. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Chris Seed named as New Zealand's next ambassador to the United States
Chris Seed. Photo: Supplied The former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been named New Zealand's next ambassador to the United States. Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced Chris Seed's appointment to the role in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. Seed was secretary of foreign affairs and trade from 2019 until last year. He has also been high commissioner to Australia and Papua New Guinea. Taking over from the end of Rosemary Banks' second term, he starts as ambassador in January. Banks served from 2018 to 2022, and returned to the role last year after her successor took over as secretary at the ministry. Peters thanked her, saying she had contributed greatly. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Australia to recognise a Palestinian state
Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about the country announcing it will join the 147 out of 193 UN member states who will recognise a Palestinian state in September. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the move calling it "shameful" while Australia's opposition leader said her coalition will revoke recognition if it wins the next election. Foreign minister Winston Peters said New Zealand will decide whether to follow suit in the next month. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
a day ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Pacific Foreign Ministers To Meet In Suva
Rt Hon Winston Peters Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters will attend the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Fiji this week to discuss key regional issues with counterparts. 'In an increasingly challenging world, it is more important than ever that the Pacific family comes together to talk about the things that matter to us,' Mr Peters says. 'New Zealand's membership of the Pacific Islands Forum, the region's leading political organisation, is a crucial part of our diplomacy. As a Pacific country, we remain dedicated to the Forum as the main platform for developing Pacific-owned and Pacific-led solutions to shared challenges.' Their meeting sets the stage for Forum Leaders' discussions in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in September. Mr Peters leaves New Zealand on Wednesday 13 August, returning on 14 August.
