Barry Soper: ZB senior political correspondent on Winston Peters sacking Phil Goff as British High Commissioner

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has sacked Phil Goff as British High Commissioner.

The Foreign Minister acted after Goff - a former Labour leader and Cabinet Minister in Clark's Government - questioned Donald Trump's understanding of history. 

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Trump needs to be handled with care, as the US President could retaliate and impact New Zealand's 'bread and butter'.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Verry Soper, Senior political correspondent. Very good afternoon, afternoon. Right,
you've come with the receipts on GoF you've got the clips,
you've got the audio.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
For Old Phil Hay just can't keep his trap shut
and that really is a problem for an ambassador when
well he's the High Commissioner. But nevertheless he is the
top diplomat that we've got in Britain. You know, he
was at an event at Chatham House and the old
Chatham House rules clearly did it in the play, which

(00:31):
was a bit of a pity really for him. But
basically the video shows Golf speaking at an event there
with Finland's Foreign minister. It was a panel and during
the Q and A the two were discussing how Finland
kept peace on its border with Russia. Now this is
how Phil Goff effectively finished his career as a diplomat.

(00:54):
Asking a question of the uncomfortable Finnish politician.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
And High Commissioner. I was rereading Churchill's speech to the
House of Commons in nineteen thirty eight after the Munich agreement,
and he turned to Chamberlain. He said, you had the
choice between war and disignor you chose disignor, yet you
will have war. President Trump has restored the bust of

(01:19):
Churchill to the Oval Office, But do you think he
really understands history.

Speaker 4 (01:25):
I will limit myself to saying that in this time,
and I did it myself. I quote it Winston Churchill,
and I think he has met very timeless remarks.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, there was a diplomatic answer, so little did she
realize just how timeless what was going to be for
Phil Goff which he made those remarks. The thing is
that that bust has been restored to the Oval Office,
and it's Churchill in his military fatigue when he went
to come to see Roosevelt during the Second World War.

(02:02):
And of course Dolenski got told off for not getting
in exactly, so there's an irony there. But Helen Clark
said that she thought it was a very thin excuse
for second Phil Gough. But look, I'm sorry, if you're
a diplomat, you can say that. As a politician, maybe
maybe get away with it, as Chris ha consent. But

(02:24):
when you're dealing with somebody like Donald Trump who's ultra sensitive.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
And you've got tariffs coming at you like bullets.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Precisely, and this if Donald Trump takes any notice of this,
which he probably won't, but if he did, then New
Zealand could be in a better position that might otherwise
have been, and that we look Philly strong.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Absolutely, you kept jokes like that from diplomats who are
representing our government, not themselves, playing fast and loose with
our bread and butter at the mind.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
I can't do it.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
You can't do it now. The Crown Account is just
going to sorry Winston Peters because he said it wasn't
an easy decision for him to make.

Speaker 5 (03:06):
Made that comment about Germany, France, Tomrol Summer, I'd have
been forced to act in this seriously regretabook one of
the most difficult things once had to do in a
whole career. Bok with phill Golf and known them for
a long time. I've worked in government with them. It's
just seriously disappointing one has to make.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
See. The thing is that Winston Peters did get on
quite well with so it probably was hard. I think
he should have to go with Mallard and we allould
have been happy in Ireland.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Well not least Mallard knows when to shut up.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well, he hasn't said seen anything since he's.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Been exactly, he knows he's onto the good wicked exactly,
keep quite keep thinking, Guinness. Now the Crown accounts actually
quite positive.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, it's it's good. Finally we've seen some good news.
But then they're based on treasury predictions that we had
last year and we know how accurate they are, and
it allows the politicians to crow about it. But the
thing that I really do like about these answers that
tax revenue for the seven months of the fiscal year
to the end of January up by more than seventy

(04:09):
billion dollars and that's that's high, and it just goes
to show that business is starting to rebound if you like.
It's six hundred million higher than forecast. And GST is
also up quite considerably, so people are out there spending

(04:29):
a bit more. And if these figures can be built
on New Zealand, hopefully will finally have turned the corner
with Adrian or not being about to interfere in things.
Just had to add to end that in there.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
You had to get that in there, didn't Yep. Brilliant.
Thank you very much. Great to see you as always.
Barry Soper, Senior Political correspondent with us here on news
Talk zeb It's.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
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