PM backs Peters' moderate stance

Helen Clark

Foreign Minister Winston Peters may have used intemperate language against the Herald - he accused it of "treason" over its coverage of the Apec summit in South Korea - but Prime Minister Helen Clark believes he is grooming himself as a more moderate politician in his new role.

"Mr Peters, I think, is choosing a way of presenting himself as Minister of Foreign Affairs which is very moderate," she said at her post-Cabinet press conference yesterday.

The press conference was dominated by questions about how Mr Peters will carry out his job in his second mission abroad, to Malta and Britain.

Asked about how Mr Peters handled issues such as defence and trade, when he had different views to the Government's, Helen Clark said: "You may find that he is saying a good deal less on those issues since he became Minister of Foreign Affairs."

She said the tone of Mr Peters' speech to his party's annual conference in Rotorua at the weekend "with the exception of the reference to the Herald ... was essentially a very moderate speech".

Mr Peters, the New Zealand First leader, is a minister outside the Cabinet. He claims not to be part of the Government and is not bound by collective Cabinet responsibility except in his own portfolio.

After a controversial week at Apec last week with former Foreign Minister Phil Goff, Mr Peters yesterday headed to Malta for Commonwealth ministerial meetings, then to Britain.

Helen Clark said she would not have used the term "treasonous" and thought it was "probably time both parties moved on from this scrap that has developed over the past week.

"In general I don't think protracted rows with the news media is that productive."

She was then questioned about the possibility of Mr Peters meeting a British Defence Minister next week and whether he would be able to discuss New Zealand defence matters.

"I see nothing abnormal at all about a foreign minister making a call on a defence minister of a very close friend like the United Kingdom," Helen Clark said.

"I don't think we should try and make the situation more complex than it needs to be.

"The Foreign Minister, by necessity, is often a point of contact with other Governments, therefore foreign ministers are briefed on issues that other Governments might wish to talk to a country about."

She did not believe there would be confusion in other countries about possible discrepancies between what Mr Peters said on defence or trade and New Zealand Government policy.

In that situation he was bound by collective responsibility in his capacity as Foreign Minister.

She conceded there might be some discussion if there were discrepancies about what was said at such a meeting and what was said on another platform "but I'm not aware that there is".

Helen Clark defended Mr Goff, who prompted a stream of negative stories last week with what appeared to be prickliness when referring to Mr Peters at Apec.

The Prime Minister said Mr Goff might have been "somewhat maligned" after being blamed for publicly discussing private queries by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer about the Peters situation.

She had been told the original reports had emanated from Australia.

Treason is a crime under the Crimes Act, which states:

"Everyone owing allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen in right of New Zealand commits treason who, within or outside New Zealand:

(a) Kills or wounds or does grievous bodily harm to Her Majesty the Queen, or imprisons or restrains her; or

(b) Levies war against New Zealand; or

(c) Assists an enemy at war with New Zealand, or any armed forces against which New Zealand forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between New Zealand and any other country; or

(d) Incites or assists any person with force to invade New Zealand; or

(e) Uses force for the purpose of overthrowing the Government of New Zealand; or

(f) Conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in this section.

Punishment

* Punishment for treason - Imprisonment for life.

* Punishment for conspiracy to commit treason - up to 14 years.

* Punishment for attempted treason - up to 14 years.

Evidence of Treason

(1) No one shall be convicted of treason on the evidence of one witness only, unless the evidence of that witness is corroborated in some material particular by evidence implicating the accused.

Capital punishment except for treason was abolished in 1961. The death penalty for treason was not abolished until 1989.