Jamie Ensor: NZ Herald political reporter on Prime Minster Luxon needing to do damage control over controversial comments from MPs

Prime Minister Chris Luxon had to do some damage control after some controversial remarks were made by members of NZ First.

This week, NZ First's Shane Jones yelled 'send the Mexicans home' - and Winston Peters told Green MPs they'd come with ideas 'foreign to our country' and suggested they show some gratitude to New Zealand.

The Mexican ambassador has since raised concerns with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Peters says he looks forward to discussing it with him at Waitangi next week. 

NZ Herald political reporter Jamie Ensor says Luxon has to strike a difficult balance by condemning these comments but not explicitly criticising members of the coalition.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Politics can be a bit of a hooss. Not always though, Yeah.
The New Zealand Political New Zealand Hero political reporter Jamie
Ensaw joins us this morning today.

Speaker 3 (00:21):
Jamie, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's talk about the sale of assets and privatization. It's
never too far away from some politicians' lips. Can you
explain what went on this week in that regard?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yeah, So it all blew up last week when actually
to David Seymour gave it give a bit of a
speech suggesting that any assets not making a return for
the government should be sold off, and that put the
Prime Minister in a bit of a pickle. He came
back from the summer break wanting to talk about just
one thing and that was economic growth, and now, thanks
to his coalition partner, he's been forced to spend much

(00:53):
of the first week back at Parliament explaining his position
on selling off assets. He's previously promised not to do
that this term, but under pressure this week he did
float the idea that National could campaign on asset sales
at the next election. Interestingly, at the same time, Trusury
has been doing a bit of a review of assets,
looking at whether they are delivering to their purpose and

(01:15):
how they could be better managed. So while the Government's
described that as a type of responsible, sensible exercise to
undertake so they have some idea of how assets are performing,
Labor's characterized it more as a catalog for a firesale,
a list of assets that could be flogged off in
the future. Finance Minister Nichola Willis has rejected that, but

(01:36):
it will be interesting to see what Treasury comes up
with when they report back on that review. And as
you said, privatization is a bit of a controversial topic
and so we're going to see how the government handles that.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, indeed we will look Shane Jones. He is well
known for opening his mouth just to change feet sometimes,
but Winston Peters is often better than that. But this
Mexican stand off this week wasn't that terrible?

Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, the Primister really couldn't catch a break. You know,
he had David Seymour pitching for privatization on one hand,
and then you have with some and Shane Jones making
comments in the House this week that some have labeled
themophobic and racist, especially towards Mexican people. Now, the comments
were targeted at the Green Party, who then raised concerns
they may involved in other people in the public to

(02:21):
lash out towards migrant communities with some Peters and Shane Jones.
You know, they responded by essentially just doubling down and
they didn't apologize. I as worked the Prime Minister at
the time, and I asked them several questions about, you know,
would you reprimand your ministers for making these comments, well,
you speak to them. How is it appropriate for there
to be no consequences when one of your ministers makes

(02:43):
those types of remarks. He said they weren't comments that
he'd made, but he also tried to repeatedly switch the
conversation from one about his minister's remarks to one about
all MP's rhetoric, saying, you know, he had heard unhelpful
comments from politicians from all parties and I think that
just shows how difficult to position this puts Christopher Luxen

(03:05):
in with regards to his type of coalition management. He's
having to dance on the tip of a pin to
not explicitly criticize when St Peters or Shane Jones but
he also wants to distance himself from their comments. And
eventually the Mexican embassy got involved, raising their concerns about
the comments, and that prompted a new statement from Winston Peters,

(03:26):
who is, of course our Foreign Affairs minister. He said
he'd catch up with the Mexican ambassador at Whitening the
events this coming week and discuss the matter. Then he
also says that in the heat of the moment, sometimes
MPs say things when they provoked that on reflection could
be expressed differently. Now that's been described by some as

(03:47):
a sort of back down from Peters, But what that
statement is missing is any recognition of personal fault by
the Deputy Prime Minister. It's a very Winston way of
trying to move the conversation on without actually acknowledging he
did something wrong.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, maybe him and the ambassador will have a couple
of tequilas and get old. So White Tangy Day is
coming up. Give us a preview. Who's going to be
talking What are the main talking points for White Tangy Day.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, so there's a few notable events to look out
for us. So tomorrow, which is Monday, we'll see the
return of Green Party co leader Madiva Davidson. She'll make
her first public political appearance in more than six months, after,
of course, last year, being diagnosed with breast cancer. We're
expecting to hear from her later in the afternoon. Then
on Tuesday, members of the Kenny Tangua will be welcomed

(04:35):
alongside to party Malti. It will also be the first
time that the Malti Queen has gone up to White
Tangy for these celebrations since the death of her father
Kenny Tuhitia last year. Following day, all other political parties
so the likes of the National Party Action New Zealand
First will be welcomed on together. That's notable as in

(04:56):
previous years opposition parties and government parties have come us
separately on different occasions, but the all becoming together this time.
The Greens were also there with Madame and attendance. Of course,
one person who won't be there will be the Prime Minister.
He's leaving things up to his senior cabinet colleagues like
Winston Peters and David Seymour, and you can expect David

(05:19):
Seymour's Treaty Principals Bill to be the center of discussion.
It's currently going through select committee process and then to
wrap it all up, there will be the usual dawn
service on White a New Day, which is the thurs Day.
We're still also waiting for official confirmation of where the
Prime Minister will be. He said that he wants to
meet to have other EWE around the country and we're
expecting that takes place somewhere in the South Island.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Oh good on you, Jamie. We well summed up there.
The New Zealand Heral political reporter Jamie Ensall.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudken. Listen
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