Jason Walls: Newstalk ZB political editor on Prime Minister Chris Luxon being grilled over Winston Peters, Shane Jones’ ‘xenophobic’ comments

The Prime Minister says he hasn't spoken to two Cabinet ministers over recent remarks that were labelled racist and xenophobic. 

In the House, 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 New Zealand some gratitude.

Green Party MP Ricardo Menendez-March, who is Mexican, says the Prime Minister should call out such language. 

Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls says Prime Minister Luxon claimed the comments 'weren't what he would say'.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And right now we're going to parliament. Jason Wall's our

(00:01):
politically editor, Jason Good afternoon.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Good afternoon, Ryan.

Speaker 1 (00:05):
So has the PM told what's happening here? But the
Prime Minister's basically said I wouldn't use that language. But
we have had a statement from Winston regardless.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yeah, exactly. I mean it was basically being slapped with
a wet bus ticket by the Prime Minister. There was essentially,
you know, just to catch you up if you don't
know the story by now. Earlier this week, Shane Jones
yelled in the House and the Mexican's Home at Green
Party leader Koe Swarwick during a debate in the Green
say this was a reference to the Mexican born at
Ricardo Menandez March. Now, Jones, I will not was given

(00:39):
an opportunity this morning to clarify these comments with Hosking. Instead,
he just decided to say the following.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Speaking of which, ironically, and tired and the television news
obsessed themselves last night with your behavior, along with your
leader's behavior towards the Greens in general. Do you do
you stand down? Do you apologize? Do you double down?
What do you do?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
No?

Speaker 4 (00:59):
It's a Mexican stand up, so.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Obviously he doesn't really care about it too much. We
asked Winston about the comments on the bridge on the
way to house the house today.

Speaker 5 (01:07):
Here's what he said, Ah, look, the house is that
sort of place where a lot of things that have
said absolutely overreacted to, and this is one of classic case.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Look, so look we are all overreacting, according to Winston.

Speaker 5 (01:22):
So in short, if you can't stand in the head,
get out of the kitchen.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
That's what it boils down to for Winston Peters. So
your question, will the Prime Minister rein in the MPs?

Speaker 6 (01:31):
Oh, look, I didn't hear the remarks, and not remarks
that I would make myself, but I obviously have conversations
with colleagues all the time, which.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
As I said, is about the wettest of wet bus
tickets being slapped on one's wrist that you can get.
He did go a touch further, there's.

Speaker 6 (01:44):
A moment between stimulus and response, just calling everybody as
a as a leader to say, hey, listen, take that moment,
think about what you're going to say before you put
your mouth.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Into get But that was more of a everybody needs
to watch what they're saying thing as opposed to, specifically
on Winston and Shane. Now, meanwhile, we had a statement
come through to us within the last hour from Winston
Peters's office. It says the Deputy Prime Minister has been
made aware of concerns raised by the Mexican ambassador with
m FAT that's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He looks

(02:13):
forward to seeing the ambassador next week to discuss the matter.
The Deputy Prime Minister is a huge champion of Mexico
and New Zealand relations and as demonstrated by his visit
there late last year, he feels nothing but friendship for
the Mexican people. Now here's the kicker.

Speaker 5 (02:28):
Ryan.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
In the heat of the moment, in the robust environment
of Parliament, sometimes some members say things when provoked that
on reflection may have been expressed differently. That could be
described as a walkback. As far as Winston walkbacks go,
it's essentially him throwing down his hands and saying I'm sorry.
He doesn't really ever get that close to admitting that

(02:49):
he was wrong. Meanwhile, Ryan, I have a bonus clip
if you're interested. It's the most luxe and two second
clip that you'll ever hear. Are you interested?

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh, you've timed. I'm taking de bait.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Believe it. When I heard it, it was so Christopher
Lux and have a listen.

Speaker 6 (03:03):
What I'd say is that's not what I'd say.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Yeah, I heard that today. I heard that from the
stand up. Hey, Shane Jones did get one thing right.
He's got Willis on his side over the Woke bank
his thing. What's the latest there?

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Well, keeping with the Shane Jones theme, he told the
Australian newspaper earlier this week that the Kiwi subs, the
Kiwi banks or the Kiwi branches of the Ossian banks
are being driven by unelected, un orientated climate apostles. So
very Shane Jones. Here's what he told the country on
this issue.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
We about a guts full of these work riddled virtue
signaling people who have no accountability what citizen mandated them
to try companies such as coal mining industries to bankruptcy.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
So this is in reference to the fact that some banks,
and specifically he's referencing him being z with drawing lending
services to some petrol stations on a case by case basis. Now,
as it turns out, the Prime Minister's not happy with this.

Speaker 6 (03:58):
Yes, it's very concerning when we banks actually across not
just Chemibank, but actually across the banking sector. I'm making
those decisions.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
And his Finance Minister, Nicola Willis took it one step further.

Speaker 7 (04:08):
I think this is an issue that the Parliamentary Select
Committee should call the bank chief executives back in about,
because while individual banks will make decisions about who they
bank based on their financial, credit worthiness and other factors,
it would be very concerning for New Zealand if banks
as a whole gang together to stop giving finance to

(04:29):
things that New Zealanders need.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
So all the Bank is back in front of MPs,
says Willis and Ryan one more time for good measure.

Speaker 6 (04:36):
What I'd say is it's not what i'd say.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
Jason, thank you very much about Jason Wall's our political
editor in Parliament having too much fun.

Speaker 5 (04:43):
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