John MacDonald: What happened to our 1980s foreign policy mojo?

Are we still living in the same country that told America what to do with its nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed ships?

Are we still living in the same country that declared itself a nuclear-free zone? Which had Washington throwing its toys and telling us that it wouldn’t be sharing intelligence with us if its ships weren’t welcome.

But that didn’t put us off and the no nukes policy has been in place ever since.

That was back in 1984. Fast-forward to 2026 and it is a completely different story.

Which is why we’ve got former foreign affairs minister Phil Goff saying today that Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters are scared of US president Donald Trump. He says the Government’s response to US and Israel attacking Iran has been “weak and uncertain”. Which it has.

Not only that. Phil Goff is also saying today that New Zealand no longer has the courage to speak freely on international matters.

He says the Government knows full well that Donald Trump’s claim he was just responding to an imminent threat from Iran is nonsense. Fake news.

Phil Goff says the Government also knows full well that the attacks on Iran are illegal. But it’s too scared to say so because it’s worried about what reaction it might get from, as Goff puts it, a president who is “volatile, unpredictable and vindictive”.

He’s not getting any argument on the volatile and unpredictable bit from former defence minister Wayne Mapp, who says that’s exactly why the Government should be careful what it says.

Because Trump is contrary and you never know what he’s going to do.

Wayne Mapp says: “You do something that really upsets President Trump, you’re likely to be slapped with a 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent tariff.”

And he says the way the Government is handling things protects New Zealand’s interests.

I disagree. Because, if we want to be an independent, confident country, we have to take a stand on things - just like we did back in the 1980s with the nuclear thing.

Christopher Luxon’s background as a CEO is his undoing in situations like this.

Because chief executives are terrified of chaos. They like to have all their ducks lined-up before they make a decision or before they take a position on something.

They are the people who run everything past HR and the legal team because uncertainty is no friend of your chief executive.

So, of course, Christopher Luxon is going to say wishy-washy things like New Zealand “acknowledges” the attacks on Iran. Of course, he’s going to say it’s up to the US and Israel to determine whether the attacks are legal or not, because they’re the ones with all the information in front of them.

Anyone expecting anything different is dreaming. And, because of that, Phil Goff is right.

We are running scared and we have lost the courage to speak freely on international matters. Courage we used to have in spades.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from newstalksb.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Are we still living in the same country that told
the Yanks what to do with their nuclear powered and
nuclear armed ships?

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Huh?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Are we still living in the same country that declared
itself a nuclear free zone, which you will remember, had
Washington throwing its toys out of the colt and telling
us that it wouldn't be sharing intelligence with US if
its ships weren't welcome. That didn't put us off, and
the known nuke's policy has been in place ever since.

(00:41):
That was back in nineteen eighty four when Labor Prime
Minister David Longey started all that. Fast forward to twenty
twenty six and it's a completely different story, eh. And
that's why we've got former Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff
sayn today the Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters are scared

(01:02):
of US President Donald Trump. He says the government its
response to the US and Israel attacking Iran has been
quote weak and uncertain, which it has. Can you see
it any other way? Not only that, Phil Goff, he's
saying today that New Zealand is no longer or New

(01:23):
Zealand no longer has the courage to speak freely on
international matters. And this is all in relation of courds
to the government's response to the initial attacks on Saturday
night on Iran and what has happened since. So Phil
Golf says, the government knows full well he's right. He says,
the government knows full well that Donald Trump's claim that

(01:44):
he was just responding to an imminent threat from Iran.
Phil Goff says, look Luxon and Peters, they know full
well that that is nonsense, that it's fake news. Phil
Goff says the government also knows full well that the
attacks on Iran are illegal, but it's too scaredy cat
to say so because he's worried about what reaction it

(02:05):
might get from a president Phil Golf describes as quote volatile,
unpredictable and vindictive. Now he's not getting any argument on
the volatile and unpredictable bit from former Defense Minister Wayne Mapp,
who's on the national side of things. Wayne Map agrees,
but he says that's exactly why the government should be

(02:26):
careful what it says, because Trump is contrary and you
never know what he's going to do. Wayne Mapp says, quote,
you do something that really upsets President Trump, you're likely
to be slapped well the ten percent thirty percent tariff
end of quote. And he says, Wayne Mapp at the

(02:46):
way the government is handling things is right because it
protects New Zealand's interests. Now, I disagree with that because
if we want to be an independent, confident country, we
have to take a stand on things, just like we
did back in the nineteen eighties with the nuclear thing.
And look, I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Christopher Luxen's as a CEO, that's his undoing in situations

(03:10):
either because CEOs or chief executives are terrified of chaos.
They like to have all the ducks lined up before
they make a decision, before they take a position on something.
You know, these are the people who run everything past hr,
everything past the legal team. And why do they do that.
They do that because uncertainty is no friend of your
chief executives. So, of course Christoph Luxin is going to

(03:33):
say wishy washy things like New Zealand acknowledges the attacks
on Iran. Of course he's going to say nonsense such
as being up to the United States and Israel to
determine whether the attacks are legal or not, because they
are the ones with all the information in front of them.
I mean, anyone expecting anything different from our current prime
minister is dreaming because Christoph Luxen is no David Longie

(03:55):
and because of that, Phil Goff is right right now.
We are running scared, and we are a country that
has lost the courage to speak freely on international matters,
and it was courage that we used to have in spades.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
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