N. Zealand’s top diplomat stands by his criticism of ‘race-based' superiority

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – New Zealand’s foreign minister Tuesday reiterated his criticism of what he called “race-based theory” where some behaved as “superior” to others.

Winston Peters’ renewed criticism came after facing backlash from mainstream media for referring to Nazi Germany during his State of the Nation speech delivered this Sunday.

In a statement on X, he accused “many” in the mainstream media of “deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly” misrepresenting his comments, alleging that Peters compared “co-governance to the Holocaust.”

Peters said his comments were aimed at Maori Party's co-leader Rawiri Waititi’s previous statements about Maori people having “superior genetics.”

“It was not just ideological theory, it was race-based theory. Where some people’s DNA made them, sadly, according to these people, and condoned by their cultural fellow travelers, their DNA made them somehow better than others,” Peters said in his address on Sunday, referring to Waititi’s earlier comments.

“I’ve seen that sort of philosophy before, I saw it in Nazi Germany, we all did. We have seen it elsewhere in the world in the horrors of history, but right here in our country tolerated by the very people whose job is to keep the system honest,” Peters had said.

The State of Nation address had “no mention of co-governance or the Holocaust,” said Peters, blasting the media over alleged “blatant misreporting.”

However, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he “does not agree with the comments” and urged all political leaders to “tone down similar inflammatory language.”

Luxon said he will discuss the issue with Peters, also a deputy prime minister and leader of New Zealand First party.

- ‘Blatant political bias’

Peters said the “outrage” from “some journalists” against his statement on “race-based theory” was not only a “disgraceful example of journalism, but yet another example of blatant political bias.”

Such commentary was an “insult to the public of New Zealand,” he added.

“The dripping bias and subsequent outrage surrounding their self-determined inference of a comparison to the ‘Holocaust’, ‘genocide’, ‘white supremacy’ and ‘dictatorships’ from these journalists, is writ large in their inconsistency when reporting on others,” said New Zealand’s top diplomat.

Recalling statements made by other politicians, Peters asked: “Where was the outrage shown by those in the media about these examples of direct and specific comparisons to the ‘Holocaust’, ‘genocide’, ‘Nazis’ and ‘Nazi ideology’?”

“The moment you argue that one race has superior DNA to other races you're leading to awful racial consequences.

“I'm not backing down one iota. I want everybody in this country no matter whether they're here for 1,000 years or here yesterday legally to be treated the same - equally as one people,” Peters stressed. “I make no apology for that.”