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Does he consider that statements made publicly by a Minister of Foreign Affairs about another country are capable of being understood by the government of that country as reflecting the position of the New Zealand Government, irrespective of the capacity in which those statements were made?

Answered Question 35411 (2026)
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Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

  • Does he consider that statements made publicly by a Minister of Foreign Affairs about another country are capable of being understood by the government of that country as reflecting the position of the New Zealand Government, irrespective of the capacity in which those statements were made?

Answered by

Rt Hon Winston Peters

List MP · NZ First · Minister of Foreign Affairs

Answer

In my experience, foreign governments are quite capable of distinguishing between statements of foreign policy and domestic political debates.