The Dominion-Post has a hard-hitting editorial today on Peter Brown's startling and offensive comments from Wednesday - here 'tis: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4463174a26494.html
The leader writer cuts quickly to the chase:
"But more likely Mr Brown has taken a look at the polls and decided it's time to play the race card. It's a strategy that served his party well in the past. In 1996 his leader Winston Peters catapulted NZ First up the polls by cynically tapping into public unease about the growth of Asian communities in Auckland.
Tellingly, asked on Wednesday to comment on his deputy's outburst, Mr Peters chose instead to object to journalists questioning him as he walked towards Parliament's debating chamber, just as, a day earlier, he responded to attempts to find out when his party would repay the $158,000 it misspent at the last election by threatening a review of media ownership laws. Robert Mugabe would have been proud to call that line his own."
I have no doubt that Brown was merely articulating Peters's views. New Zealand has moved on since Peters made Asian-bashing an art form in 1996, and there has already been widespread condemnation of the NZ First outburst. For Peters to remain as Foreign Minister, the diplomatic face of the New Zealand government borders on the unthinkable. Helen Clark should demand his resignation. If she fails to act, she by default endorses New Zealand First's racist worldview.
3 comments:
In a similar vein to your comment on my blog, I totally agree.
The Winston Firsters must go.
See my post here
http://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/dompeterbrown/
and another much earlier comment on Peters and his bully boy attitude here
http://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/why-does-nz-put-up-with-this-bully/
Thanks for your indulgence, I enjoy your blog
Peters and Co are trying on the well worn vote grabbers they had in the past
1. Immigration
2. Nationalism - posturing on foreign ownership etc as Labour did recently.
How low is Winne in the polls right now? LOL
Agreed Swampy - NZ First is at rock-bottom right now, so they go to the tried-and-true. But conversely, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since 1996, and there's far less fear of the "yellow peril" in the community.
Still, if nothing else, it has stopped the MSM asking Winston questions about the money he still owes the taxpayer!
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