NZ First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has clashed with RNZ host Corin Dann in a fiery interview.
NZ First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has clashed with RNZ host Corin Dann in a fiery interview.
RNZ defends one of its leading broadcasters after a personal attack by NZ First leader.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has taken aim at RNZ Morning Report host Corin Dann, labelling him an “arrogant wokester loser” following a fiery on-air exchange in which the NZ First leader also appeared toquestion the value of RNZ’s public funding.
In a combative exchange on Morning Report on Wednesday morning, Peters took exception to Dann’s questioning about the NZ First member’s bill to define the term “woman” in law, accusing the broadcaster of running the line of political opponents.
Labour and the Greens have accused Peters of importing a culture war as a political distraction.
When Dann questioned Peters on that, he said the line of questioning was “so typical” of RNZ.
Dann told Peters it was his job to put up arguments for Peters to answer. “Sorry, you’re not going to accuse me of putting up their arguments and believing in them. I’m the devil’s advocate here and I put up the argument for you to answer.”
Peters said: “The fact is, you’re paid for by the taxpayer and sooner or later we’re going to cut that water off too, because you’re an abuse on the taxpayer.
“You’re not hearing both sides of the story, you keep on putting the argument of the woke left. You’re a disgrace to the mainstream media.”
Peters said: “Your job is to be an interviewer... when you put me on, you hear what we’ve got to say, when the Greens are on, hear what they’ve got to say, when the National Party are on, hear what they’ve got to say.
“But not you. When it’s our turn, you’re interjecting all the time. When they come on, it’s a very placid, lovely interview, isn’t it?”
Dann: “I would disagree with that and argue that that is not the case, and we are fair and fierce with all who come on this programme.”
Deputy Prime Minister and NZ First leader Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell
In a social media post after his interview, Peters accused Dann of being an “arrogant wokester loser”.
“News flash Corin. We can’t force you to stop being so delusionally woke.
“The sooner you and your mates wake up and stop being so out of touch the sooner our country will get back to some common sense. Welcome to the front line of the war on woke.”
Winston Peters' social media post, taking aim at RNZ host Corin Dann.
Media Insider requested a response from RNZ chief executive and editor in chief Paul Thompson and received a statement from a spokeswoman.
“RNZ has a rigorous editorial policy that demands our work is always underpinned by fairness, accuracy, independence, respect and decency,” she said.
In 2023/24, under the previous Labour Government, RNZ’s annual budget was boosted by almost $25 million, from $42m a year to $66.6m. That funding injection was maintained by the National-led coalition for 2024/25.
RNZ has said the new levels of funding – its first material increase since 2009 – have been critical for catch-up work and as it transforms into a digital-first media organisation.
The budget has also helped RNZ lift staff numbers from 309 to 347, while those earning more than $100,000 have increased from 107 to 145. The company’s overall salary budget increased from $32m in 2022/23 to $37m in 2023/24.
As other media companies feel the pinch, sources say Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith and Finance Minister Nicola Willis and their officials are taking a laser-like look at RNZ’s funding ahead of the Budget next month.
“All budgets are under scrutiny,” a spokesman for Goldsmith said yesterday. “Decisions will be made as part of Budget 2025.”
Peters told reporters at Parliament today that he had not had any discussions with Cabinet colleagues about RNZ funding.
“Of course it’s appropriate for me to ask, on behalf of the taxpayer, are we getting value for money here?”
One source says the $66.6m that RNZ receives directly through NZ on Air could be pared back, with at least some of that money redistributed to the broader media industry through NZ on Air’s contestable funding programme. That provides funding for specific shows and projects.
No decisions have yet been made, and among the considerations is whether RNZ’s funding should be maintained to ensure the organisation can, for example, continue to afford to send reporters on overseas political trips and – as it’s done most recently – commission its own political poll.
Defining a ‘woman’
As the Herald’s Jamie Ensor reported this week, NZ First wants to clarify the definition of a woman and a man in law to ensure, the party says, “our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years”.
NZ First wants to see “women” defined in law as an “adult human biological female” and “man” defined as an “adult human biological male”.
“The purpose of this amendment is to uphold legal certainty, protect the integrity of sex-based rights and ensure that language in law reflects biological reality,” a note within the legislation says.
“This definition will apply in all contexts where the terms ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are used, unless explicitly stated otherwise in specific legislation.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
