Winston Peters

Winston Peters

Around Parliament, Winston Peters was unfailingly courteous to me, if distant while I was an MP. When my personal life was under attack in the House and Act leader Richard Prebble was overseas, Peters stood up for me.

His own private life is off limits. He's wickedly cruel but enormously funny. When he's away, the House is dull. I nag for weeks to get an interview, granted only because I'm "married to Mr Carruthers" [who, as Counsel Assisting at the 1994 Winebox Inquiry, was responsible for ensuring all relevant evidence, including that provided by Peters, was put before the inquiry].

We meet in New Zealand First's caucus room above Lambton Quay where the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Racing, and Associate Minister for Senior Citizens is relaxed, articulate, in good humour and full of energy.

I start by asking what was "very encouraging" about his Christchurch meeting with Senator John McCain over a free trade deal with the US.

Winston Peters: Here was a senior Republican supportive of a free-trade agreement and expanding our friendship in the Senate and Congress is important on this issue. So the more people of that calibre and status whom we can persuade to our side, the better.

DC: Did he have any problems with you being a minister outside the Government?

WP: (Chuckling) None whatsoever. Look, I'm under no illusion about how difficult obtaining a free-trade agreement with the States is going to be. But I'm an optimist in terms of working towards a long-term objective and we can't ignore the fact this follows 20 years of disagreement in one particular area. But having said that, I do come with a fresh mind and no baggage at all.

DC: In your pre-election Rotorua speech you said you "genuinely don't care for the baubles of office" but Fran O'Sullivan in the Herald called you a "well-paid political eunuch taking the baubles of office". What's your reaction?

WP: I've been Minister of Maori Affairs, Treasurer and deputy prime minister who didn't take any houses, cars and travelled economy to try to save this country money. That makes me unique in this country's politics but counts for nothing with people like Fran O'Sullivan. So here I am in my third administration, I take a house and apparently I'm now a victim of the baubles-of-office syndrome. But I don't want to waste my time with her, other than to say this: We were both being sued by Fay Richwhite. They [O'Sullivan and National Business Review] came to me for help in respect of their case. The moment they were able to effect a settlement, I never saw her on the Winebox. I stuck the thing out for seven years using my personal money. What did she do?