Winston Peters didn’t release Iran war stance emails to embarrass PM – Helen Clark

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark does not think Winston Peters released emails revealing a clash over New Zealand’s Iran war stance to embarrass the prime minister.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with the foreign minister on Wednesday night following a political spat between the two leaders which broke out over the release of emails that show Luxon wanting to move the government’s position to showing “explicit public support” for the United States within days of the US-Israel war in Iran starting.

Clark told RNZ Nights the documents were subject to an Official Information Act (OIA) request.

“Winston Peters has made comments to the extent that he thought that the PM’s office was also in on the release.”

She said he had also taken responsibility that he should have checked this.

But Clark said typically anyone who was a subject of material in an OIA request would be told.

“So sometimes it can be stuff up rather than conspiracy,” she said.

But she questioned where the prime minister’s department was in it all.

“It’s a bit hard to believe that no one in DPMC [Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet] knew that this request had been made,” Clark said. “Why weren’t they following up?”

“I think … people have been caught napping here,” she said.

Luxon’s office said it was surprised to see Peters’ office release the internal discussions to the media, as it was not consulted.

“These emails mischaracterise the PM’s position. As you’d expect, it is the PM’s job to always challenge the advice he receives and, in this case, he sought to test New Zealand’s position against that of Canada and Australia,” a spokesperson for Luxon said.

“The public statements made by the Government reflect the PM’s position. If they didn’t, they would not have been made.

“The decision to release these discussions to the media clearly put politics ahead of the national interest.

“The PM would expect Mr Peters to show better judgement after more than 40 years in politics.”

Clark, who has previously worked with Peters while he was a foreign minster, believed his approach of being prudent and not weighing in on the US side was the right judgement.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand