Give us credit we deserve, Peters tells US

Winston Peters

Foreign Minister Winston Peters made an undiplomatic plea to the United States yesterday to give New Zealand greater respect for its work in the Pacific.

In his first major speech in the post, Mr Peters said New Zealand did not get enough credit from the US for its role in the Pacific. He said Russia had a much greater appreciation of it.

"There are aspects about New Zealand's importance in the world that the United States might not fully understand and I intend to make sure that they do.

"Like many big countries, they don't grasp just how important our engagement has been, how important it is."

Prime Minister Helen Clark endorsed his comments and said she had raised similar concerns with Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill in Papua New Guinea last week.

"I think often the work New Zealand does to support stability and security in the Pacific is undervalued, and we do do a great deal."

Mr Peters also said Britain could pull its weight more in the region.

While the curtain went down on the Empire some considerable time ago, he said, the responsibilities did not: "We've picked them up."

Asked if what he was saying was that bigger countries should pull their weight more, he said, "Yes, it is."

Mr Peters told the NZ Institute of International Affairs that he suspected the US had overlooked New Zealand's connection to the Pacific. Afterwards he said: "There are countries in the world that understand New Zealand's importance and involvement in the Pacific, that we look after and have a potential to influence developments in one quarter of the world's globe."

He spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Apec meeting in Korea in November and "he understood just how significant New Zealand's contribution has been".

"I want the United States to understand that, that we are doing our bit ... and that it should be important in their consideration of us."

Mr Peters hopes to visit Washington this year.

The US ambassador to Wellington, William McCormick, said yesterday that he was looking forward to discussing the matter with Mr Peters.

He endorsed the view expressed by Admiral William Fallon, head of the US Pacific Command, when he was in Wellington recently that "the United States deeply appreciates the work that New Zealand does when it comes to critical security and stability issues in the region".

The National Party's foreign affairs spokesman, Murray McCully, said that in light of Mr Peters' aim to improve relations with the US, the speech "was not another step forward".

"It was a step back and you have to wonder if he has been well and truly knobbled by the ninth floor [Helen Clark's office]."

But Mr McCully said National endorsed the priority Mr Peters had placed on the Pacific and the party would work with him on a bipartisan basis on this issue.


Reporter's question 'racist'

Winston Peters yesterday labelled as "racist" a reporter's question asking if his being Maori might be an advantage in his engagement with Pacific countries as Foreign Minister.

Mr Peters made two indirect references himself to his ethnicity yesterday in a foreign affairs speech in Wellington and a press conference afterwards, at which he stressed his priority for engaging with the Pacific.

"This is where we live, or some of us for 1000 years," he said. Speaking about China in the Pacific he said there were issues that could "expand and develop our relationship - including making sure they understand that the native people of New Zealand actually came from China."

He said his approach would be different. "Let me make this very clear. We intend to engage with every Pacific nation, no matter how big, no matter how small, as equals."

Asked if his being Maori might be an advantage in that regard, he said the question was "racist".

Mr Peters himself has made reference in Parliament to being a Maori Minister of Foreign Affairs when asked about the Government's attitude to indigenous peoples.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia would not comment on the question but said: "We are incredibly proud that Rt Hon Winston Peters is of indigenous descent." He had held many important portfolios including Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer between 1996 and 1998.