David Seymour: Deputy Prime Minister explains why the Government is taking time on Palestine stance

The Deputy Prime Minister has shaken off accusations from the opposition over the Government's decision to take its time in recognising a Palestinian state.

The Government plans to make an official decision in the coming weeks.

David Seymour says the Government will take the time needed to decide its stance. 

"The Government is taking its time - some say this conflict goes back 4000 years. I don't think it's a major problem for the Government of New Zealand on the other side of the world to take a few weeks to come to a sober and sensible decision." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Heather duple Clo.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
The government is defending its decision to take its time
on the recognition of a Palestinian state. There are reports
it's being held up by coalition disagreements. David Cimoa is
the Deputy Prime Minister and the act Party lead down
with us. Now, hey, David, is it really coalition disagreements
or is it simply that all of you guys are
on board with taking your time here.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Well, first of all, the only person saying that is
Chris Hipkins. Chris Hipkins doesn't know what's happening in cabinet,
mainly because the voters ejected him from that room for
being a bit useless. Quite frankly, the truth is that
the government is taking its time. Some people say this
conflict goes back four thousand years. I don't think it's

(00:42):
a major problem for the government of New Zealand on
the other side of the world to take a few
weeks to come to a sober and sensible decision where
we know where we stand and also have thought through
things like what happens next. Because I can understand people
who are affected by the emotion of seeing these grotesque

(01:04):
scenes and terrible things that are happening. We understand that,
but the question is what do you do about it?
And we are, I believe, going to come to a
very good position as a government that upholds in New
Zealand's tradition as a country of independent and thoughtful foreign policy,
seen as an honest broker in the world.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Okay, what is the argument for not doing it in
September with everybody?

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Well, we may very well do that if we go
through the discussions we have planned and get to a
position by then. But again, I think there's this enormous
onus of everybody must do something, it almost doesn't matter what.
And the truth is that these kinds of awful conflicts
occur because people are ruled by their passions instead of

(01:49):
thinking carefully about how they'd like the world to work. Now,
we will get to a place where our government can
hand on hearts say that we are thinking carefully about
all of the different sides and their objectives and the
challenges they face and why they are in the place
they're in, rather than trying to almost prove our own

(02:10):
moral superiority over each other, which the likes of Chloe
Swarbrock have just been doing. Getting kicked out of Parliament
for David.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Thanks very much for your time, David Cymore deepd Prime.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Minister for more from Hither Duplessy Alan Drive. Listen live
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