The Militant (logo)  
   Vol. 69/No. 44           November 14, 2005  
 
 
New Zealand: Labour gov’t
names rightist foreign minister

BY FELICITY COGGAN  
AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Prime Minister Helen Clark announced October 18 that rightist New Zealand First party leader Winston Peters will be foreign minister in her newly formed coalition government. This move, in return for New Zealand First’s support in parliament, registers the government’s shift to the right as Clark’s Labour Party enters its third term in office.

Peters is expected to make new overtures to Washington to bolster ties between the two imperialist governments. “Unlike Mr. Goff,” noted Fran O’Sullivan in a column in the October 18 New Zealand Herald, “the new Foreign Minister has not stamped on Uncle Sam’s toes.” Philip Goff was the previous foreign minister. At the same time, reported a BBC news release, “New Zealand was sending a negative message to its Asian neighbours.”

Peters has made a name for his anti-immigrant campaigns, virulent nationalism, and demagogic style. A member of parliament for some 25 years, he formed New Zealand First after breaking with the conservative National Party in 1993. In the late 1990s, he was treasurer and deputy prime minister in a National-New Zealand First coalition government.

The September 17 vote did not deliver an outright majority for the Labour Party in the 121-member parliament. Rather than be reliant on the Green Party or the Maori Party to gain a majority, Clark pursued agreements on votes on confidence and funding from the right-wing United Future Party and New Zealand First. United Future leader Peter Dunne was appointed minister of revenue. Like Peters, he is not in the cabinet.

The Maori Party, formed following a 20,000-strong protest at parliament last year, won four of seven seats in the electorates reserved for Maori voters.

Clark has defended her decision to appoint Peters. “His views on foreign policy are very similar to those of Labour,” she said. Both agree on opposition to the invasion of Iraq, the commitment of New Zealand troops to Afghanistan, and on maintaining legislation banning visits to the country by nuclear-powered or -armed warships.

The elections took place amid an uptick in union actions for improved wages and conditions. Signaling her government’s course, Clark told delegates to the Council of Trade Unions national conference October 18 that Labour’s priorities would shift from “social policy initiatives” to “boosting economic growth and productivity,” noted the Herald.  
 
 
 
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