Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on Winston Peters confirming New Zealand won't recognise a Palestinian state

The Prime Minister says New Zealand remains committed to the peace process in the Middle East.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has told the UN our Government won't be recognising a Palestinian state. 

Chris Luxon says we can't acknowledge a state whose de facto Government is the designated terror group, Hamas.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Peters delivered a 'well-argued and well-positioned speech' and New Zealand has always had its own foreign policy.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barrisoper, Senior political Correspondence with US.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Hello, Barry, Good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Okay, so what did you think of Winston Peter's speech.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Well, look, I've read the full speech and to me,
it was a very well argued and well positioned speech.
And you know, New Zealand has always said it's had
its own foreign policy independent of any other country in
the world, and I think just this just goes to
show that we do. It's in line with countries like

(00:25):
Singapore and Japan who are taking a very similar position
to New Zealand. But what Winston Peters argued was that
Palestine doesn't meet the criteria of a state as it
doesn't have control over its own population. I mean, Amas
is still in charge in Palestine theoretically. Anyway, little do

(00:46):
we know about them because no journalists are allowed by
Israel into the country to find out. But you know,
I think we took a very responsible, a hard position.
People have very strong views on both sides. Those who
though we're supporting the actions of Israel are plainly wrong
and stupid because that is not the position that New

(01:08):
Zealand's taking. Getting back at six o'clock this morning from
the Big Apple, has clearly taken Winston Peters out of
play today, with Chris Luxon being left to explain the
decision here, he.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
Is Hamas is a brutal, brutal terrorist organization. We continue
to call out Israel for its grossly disproportionate response. You
cannot recognize a state where a terrorist organization is the
de facto government of Gaza, which is a large proportion
of Palestinian, a state that would ultimately emerge. Hamas are
orchestrated a massacre unforeseen in the history of Israel. One

(01:44):
two hundred innocent people at a music festival. We're massacre.
Two hundred and fifty one people were taken as hostages.
Forty eight still remain.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
And we know the casualties on the other side, many
many more than what was a ocurred on October the
seventh in Israel. But Harmus may eventually, obviously will be
taken out of play and then will presumably recognize Palestine
as a state. But you can imagine what that state

(02:13):
will comprise. I mean, many people living in it will
have seen parents, brothers and sisters, loved ones killed by
the Israelis. And I don't think that you may stamp
out one terrorist organization, but it'll spawn, in my view
clearly another one.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeap quite right, Okay, good decision by Chris Pink today.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Well it's fantastic, isn't it. I mean, you know, living
most of my life in Wellington, and since this legislation
was passed, you see Reading Cinemas a whole block virtually
on Courtney Place having been closed down for earthquake strengtheningt
doing it at the moment.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Basically whatteen That's right.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
When I went to the movies there, I always felt
totally safe. And when we had the ki Kura quake
that really battled Wellington. I know the apartment that we
had on the fifteenth floor of a building that was
earthquake proof. It was shaken from side to side, furniture
thrown all over the place. You couldn't get into a door.
Well that's what it's meant to happen when it is

(03:13):
earthquake proof. But Reading Cinema they stood throughout it, hardly
a crack. And you look at other places there, the
Central Library that's been closed because the building needs strengthened.
That big Flash hotel, I can't remember the name of it.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
The amoral was Flash, not flesh anymore.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Well, no it's not, because it's been left derelict. So
clearly the risk analysis of these buildings will be now
taken into account more fully. And the great thing is
that Auckland, which of course will never have an earthquake.
And I love the figures that you read out earlier.
What it would save Auckland and the Chatham Islands. Well,

(03:53):
the Chatham's hardly got any building. I've been there over
two stories anyway. So the and North taken out of play,
which is good, but look essentially the building industry Chris
pink He emphasized the savings to areas unlikely ever to
be hit by.

Speaker 4 (04:10):
An earthquake, and Danny Vick, for example, with a population
of just five thousand, six hundred, the savings are estimated
at around sixty eight million dollars. Morrinsville, which falls under
the population cap as well, stands to save about fifty
million dollars. Taken together, these changes will remove around fifty
five percent of current earthquake prime buildings, or around two

(04:32):
nine hundred buildings from the system. A feather one thousand,
four hundred and forty buildings will face more cost effective
remediation requirements and eight hundred and forty will require no
remedial work at all.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah. I think this is an example, Heather, isn't it
really when you saw the damage that occurred in christ
Church and nobody ever really felt that christ Church was
at risk of the major earthquake, the one that we saw,
and it was as a result of that we tightened
up the rules of unlike It's a bit not unlike
Cave Creek, for example, we had health and safety regulations

(05:05):
coming after that, and they are now patently absurd as
well for other areas in the country. So we tend
to overreact when we see issues later, right, dare I
say the guns being taken off legitimate hunters after the
dreadful Mosk attacks, We react rather than thinking about what
exactly will it mean these terrible events that we do

(05:28):
encounter from time to time.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Verry, thanks very much, appreciate it. Barry Soper, Senior political correspondent.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
For more from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.