PM Christopher Luxon to respond to Winston Peters’ ‘Nazi Germany’ comments

Christopher Luxon will have to respond to comments made by his deputy Winston Peters when the Prime Minister fronts his post-Cabinet press conference today.

It comes as both Peters, as Foreign Affairs Minister, and Luxon are today meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is the highest-ranking Chinese politician to have travelled to New Zealand since Wang Yi last visited in 2017.

Peters, speaking as New Zealand First leader, yesterday gave his State of the Nation address in Palmerston North, which included comparing “race-based theory” from the Opposition with actions seen in Nazi Germany.

Holocaust Centre of New Zealand spokesman Ben Kepes told NZME yesterday comments like those were “offensive to the memory of those who died and to those who survived in the Holocaust to start throwing around terms like ‘Holocaust’ or ‘Nazi’ willy-nilly”.

Yesterday, Peters said he was confident New Zealand’s Jewish community would understand what he was trying to say.

Today, Peters told Three’s AM that his “Nazi Germany” comments were referring specifically to comments made by Te Pāti Māori regarding Māori genes being superior.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins today condemned Peters’ comments and said he should start behaving like a Deputy Prime Minister.

“I think New Zealanders should expect some greater leadership from both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.

“I think the sorts of comments that he is making are unnecessarily inflammatory and I don’t think that he’s living up to the standards of behaviour that we would expect from someone in that role.”

Hipkins accepted politicians should be able to switch between their ministerial roles and their party leader roles, but he argued Peters’ comments reflected poorly on both the Government and the country.

It’s the latest in the war of words Peters and Hipkins have engaged in since yesterday’s speech.

Afterwards, Hipkins described Peters’ behaviour as similar to a “drunk uncle at a wedding”.

Peters shot back on social media today, saying Hipkins’ comment was laughable “coming from someone who would get drunk on a wine biscuit”.

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.