Bob Carr sues NZ Deputy PM Winston Peters over ‘Chinese puppet’ insult

NZ’s Deputy PM has lashed out as Bob Carr sues him for describing the former Labor foreign minister as a ‘Chinese puppet’.

Bob Carr is suing Winston Peters for defamation.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has appeared to dig in over comments about Bob Carr, for which the former Labor foreign minister is suing him.

Mr Carr’s lawyers have written to Mr Peters, who is also NZ Foreign Minister, confirming their intention to sue for defamation after Mr Peters called Mr Carr a “Chinese puppet,” on NZ radio

But on Friday morning, just half an hour before he was due to address the NZ China Council, Mr Peters went back on the attack, lashing out at an “irrelevant, ill-informed shill from some other country.”

Without naming his target, Mr Peters wrote on X: “We should never be accepting of any irrelevant ill-informed shill from some other country to walk into New Zealand and try to tell us what to do.

“Here in New Zealand we respect something called a ‘country’s independent nationhood’. That principle seems lost on these people who just use it as a punchline”

We should never be accepting of any irrelevant ill-informed shill from some other country to walk into New Zealand and try to tell us what to do.

Here in New Zealand we respect something called a ‘country’s independent nationhood’. That principle seems lost on these people who…

— Winston Peters (@winstonpeters) May 2, 2024

He dug in further in a press conference, telling reporters: “I’ve got a right to say what I said,” adding: “This isn’t my first (legal) rodeo.”

“I’ve been on the stage internationally for a long time and I’ll never tell another country what they should be doing. I don’t interfere - it’s called nationhood,” he said.

“This is a serious matter and we’re not going to slide by it. You might be cowed by threats of legal action [but] I’m not.”

The row between Mr Peters and Mr Carr began with a fiery Peters interview on Radio NZ, in the wake of a foreign policy speech he delivered in Wellington on Wednesday night where he laid out New Zealand’s position on AUKUS.

Although having previously spoken positively - including to The Australian - about joining Pillar Two of the defence pact, which deals with technology, in his speech Mr Peters appeared to row back from aligning NZ with the deal, which is unpopular with the country.

His attack on Mr Carr came in the wake of the former foreign minister’s own remarks about AUKUS, which he described as “Fragrant, methane-wrapped bullshit,” adding that Pillar 2 was a smokescreen for introducing nuclear submarines.

“Why do I call it bullshit? Because it’s been cobbled together to make it look like there’s more to AUKUS than subs – there isn’t,” he told a Labour defence conference in Wellington.

In response, Mr Peters accused Mr Carr of being “nothing more than a Chinese puppet.”

“What on earth does he think he’s doing walking into our country and telling us what to do?” Mr Peters asked. “We would no more do that in Australia than he should do here. That’s the kind of arrogance we don’t like.”

Mr Peters made other comments about Mr Carr, which have been removed from Radio NZ’s website over their litigious content.

In a legal letter published by NZ’s TV1, Mr Carr’s lawyers describe Mr Peters’ comments as “indefensibly defamatory,” saying they have “no basis in fact”.

In the letter, Mr Carr’s lawyers say: “In the circumstances, we place you on notice that we are now in the process of instructing New Zealand lawyers to advise in relation to the immediate commencement in New Zealand of defamation proceedings against you.

“We also place you on notice that any further publication of the same or similar defamatory statements about our client will be relied upon in support of a claim for aggravated damages in the foreshadowed proceedings.”

The letter to Mr Peters adds: “Our client has never had any business relationship with any Chinese entity, nor has he ever served on the board of any Chinese company, nor has he ever been in receipt of any income from any Chinese company.”

NZ’s Labour party has demanded Mr Peters resign over the remarks, with Labour leader Chris Hipkins accusing him of embarrassing the country.

“These sorts of allegations by a foreign affairs minister are unacceptable,” Mr Hipkins said.

“They cannot be left unchallenged. Winston Peters cannot execute his duties as foreign affairs minister while he has this hanging over him.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has distanced himself from Mr Peter’s remarks but stopped short of rebuking his deputy.

“Look, they’re not comments I would make,” he told reporters.

“I’m sure Bob Carr, as a seasoned politician, understands the rough and tumble of politics.”

Mr Peters has been approached for comment.