National deputy leader Nicola Willis lashes out at ‘confused’ Winston Peters, suggests coalition breach after Iran war emails released

National deputy leader Nicola Willis is claiming Winston Peters’ failure to notify Prime Minister Christopher Luxon that his office was releasing to the Herald emails showing the Prime Minister wanted to show “explicit public support” for the US-led war in Iran is a “political game” that threatens the good-faith provisions in the coalition agreement.

Willis is also latching on to contradictory comments from Peters on the matter to warn voters the New Zealand First leader could become similarly “confused” during future coalition negotiations and support a Labour coalition into Government, something Peters has previously ruled out.

It follows Luxon claiming Peters had “clearly put politics ahead of the national interest” and had mischaracterised Luxon’s position on the Middle East conflict.

Willis’ broadside is the latest in a recent string of clashes between National and New Zealand First, as the former appears to be bleeding votes to its coalition partner, led by Peters.

Peters today admitted a “process mistake” was made in releasing emails between advisors of Luxon and Peters to the Herald, which were reported this morning, without notifying Luxon. Peters’ comments clarified earlier statements indicating Peters believed no mistake had been made.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Willis said the decision to release those emails should have been made in concert with Luxon’s office and suggested the failure to do so was “intentional”.

“The problem here is the coalition agreement sets out very clearly that we will act in good faith and in a no-surprises fashion – his office failed to uphold those principles,” she said.

Christopher Luxon (left) and Winston Peters met last night. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Willis wouldn’t answer directly when asked if it constituted a breach of the agreement, acknowledging mistakes happen but noting Peters’ comments weren’t clear.

“It appears to be political game-playing at a time when the country is experiencing a fuel crisis, significant conflict in the Middle East, at a time when New Zealanders want their ministers focused on them and their interests.”

Willis, referring to Peters’ earlier denial a mistake had been made, claimed the Foreign Affairs Minister seemed “very, very confused”.

“What is to say he won’t have a bout of similar confusion in the coalition talks?”

Asked to clarify her meaning, Willis responded: “[Peters] has said that he won’t support a Labour, Greens, Te Pāti Māori Government, but what if he gets confused?”

Peters this afternoon admitted there had been a “process mistake” in not informing Luxon’s office of the decision to release the emails to the Herald.

“In the end, I made the mistake,” he said.

“We don’t blame others, but funnily enough, a couple of my staff are going to be at a training session this afternoon on the matter.”

Peters claimed an “assumption” was made that Luxon’s office was also releasing the emails; an act he defended.

“If it should be disclosed, disclose it, there’s no good reason not to. That’s the view I’ve always had myself.

“I should have made sure that the Prime Minister was on the same wavelength.”

He wouldn’t respond to questions about Luxon’s statement, specifically the Prime Minister’s claims that Peters put politics over the national interest, Peters had mischaracterised Luxon’s position and Luxon’s position on the conflict.

“Look, that’s yesterday’s story,” Peters said.

In a statement, a spokesman for Luxon told the Herald yesterday the pair had met in Peters’ office, during which Peters had acknowledged a mistake had been made.

The spokesman said the emails “mischaracterise the PM’s position” and said Luxon would have expected Peters to show “better judgment”.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said some of his staff were going through a training session related to the matter. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Herald’si exclusive report revealed emails between advisors in the days after war broke out in February, when the United States and Israel struck targets in Iran.

Asked at the time whether New Zealand supported the strikes, Luxon answered that New Zealand “acknowledge[d]” the strikes, but was silent on whether New Zealand supported them.

This wording, emphasising acknowledgement but not support, was different from the likes of Australia, whose statements on the war emphasised the fact that country explicitly supported the strikes.

Senior staff from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), the public service agency that provides Luxon with policy advice, emailed Peters’ office suggesting Luxon’s talking points be updated to align with a statement from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The email noted that changing these talking points would have flow-on effects to New Zealand’s foreign policy, including the question of whether New Zealand believed the strikes were illegal under international law.

There is an active debate over the war’s legality, with many observers thinking it is illegal.

Michael Appleton, a foreign affairs adviser seconded from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to Peters’ office, responded to the DPMC official.

“I’ve discussed with MFA the PM’s preference for more explicit public support of the US’ action,” Appleton wrote, using MFA, an acronym for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“MFA does *not* wish for NZ to move towards explicit support, like Australia/Canada have expressed,” he said.

“He sees value, from a foreign policy perspective, in walking the careful line we established yesterday via the written statement and in his stand-up – which neither condemns nor gives explicit support to the US action.”

A spokesman for Peters told the Herald that the minister, travelling in Latin America at the time, was “alerted via his staff to the Prime Minister’s wish for New Zealand to express explicit support for the US-led military strikes on Iran”.

“As outlined in the documentation released, the minister considered this suggestion to be an imprudent course of action, which would run counter to New Zealand’s national interests.

“He conveyed this view to the Prime Minister, via communications between his team and the Prime Minister’s,” he said.

Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.