On Newstalk ZB Mike Hosking Breakfast Winston Peters addresses the Heckler at train station stand up.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters criticised a heckler’s behaviour at Wellington Railway Station as “disgraceful”.
Tonkin + Taylor apologised and launched an investigation into the incident involving their employee.
Peters said he wouldn’t feel bad if the man lost his job, citing the company’s contracts.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says he wouldn’t feel bad if the man who heckled him at a Wellington Railway Station lost his job.
This morning, Peters, the Minister for Rail, told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that the behaviour during his press conference was “disgraceful” and had become far too prevalent in New Zealand.
Peters and Transport Minister Chris Bishop were at Wellington Railway Station yesterday morning unveiling $604.6 million of Government funding in Budget 2025 that would go towards upgrading and renewing rail in New Zealand.
At the end of the media stand-up, a commuter wearing a lanyard of a prominent engineering firm took on Peters, saying: “Bollocks,” to which Peters responded: “You look like bollocks mate.”
Rail Minister Winston Peters and Transport Minister Chris Bishop announcing $600m in Government funding to help upgrade the country's rail services during a press conference at Wellington Railway Station. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Environmental and engineering consultancy Tonkin + Taylor yesterday apologised to Peters and said it was commencing an investigation into the incident.
This morning, Peters said if you wore a company’s insignia “maybe you should remember that”.
“If your company actually gets contracts from KiwiRail, or from railways, it’d be rather wise for you to keep counsel.”
Asked if he would feel bad if the man lost his job, Peters replied: “No, I wouldn’t frankly”.
He said the man started attacking and heckling him “without even listening” to what he was saying.
The man referenced the NZ First leader’s age and made other disparaging remarks.
During the exchange, Peters repeatedly told the man to “naff off”. Peters also shot back: “You look older than I do, mate.”
As it was now an employment matter, Peters said he couldn’t comment further.
In a statement yesterday evening, Tonkin + Taylor apologised to Peters, Bishop and attendees “for the disruption caused” and confirmed one of its employees was involved.
“We are aware of an incident at a media event at Wellington Railway Station this morning. We have confirmed the person involved is a Tonkin + Taylor employee,” the engineering consultancy company said in a statement.
“We are investigating in line with our code of conduct and for privacy reasons, we won’t be commenting any further.”
Employment law specialist Jennifer Mills said the fact the man’s employer was identifiable on his lanyard meant he may be looking at disciplinary action.
Behaving badly when you were unidentifiable and out at a pub with a group of mates would make it more difficult for an employer to take action, Mills said.
“The question is whether your actions bring an employer into disrepute, and in this instance that level of heckling clearly did,” Mill said.
“At the end, where the individual called the minister a ‘f****** moron’, that’s verbal abuse, and that would constitute serious misconduct warranting summary dismissal.”
In Tonkin + Taylor’s code of conduct, employees are warned that non-compliance with relevant policies could result in disciplinary action, dismissal or reporting to appropriate authorities.
“Our reputation is highly dependent on the general conduct of our people and suppliers and on their professionalism in all facets of service.”
The code says employees should consider questions such as “how would your actions be reported by the media?”
It also asks how would an employee’s actions be viewed by friends and family and would the employee be confident in explaining their actions to colleagues, senior management or relevant authorities.
“All concerns raised would be taken seriously, and all reported actual, potential or suspected breaches investigated in good faith promptly,” the code states.
Free Speech Union spokesperson Nick Hanne said they had contacted Tonkin + Taylor and urged them to respect their employee’s speech rights.
“Employers don’t own employees time when they are commuting to work, and the choice to heckle Winston Peters has nothing to do with Tonkin + Taylor,” Hanne said.
“The company apologising off the bat sets a dangerous precedent, sending a message to employees that expressing political opinions in public is unacceptable.
“But individuals don’t forfeit their right to express political views just because they have a job.”
