Anticipating Peters is always a fool’s errand

alleged leaking of his superannuation overpayment in 2017, was taking legal action against State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes and another top public servant.

Forget that Peters is also suing two former National ministers (although that too is an unnecessary distraction for the Government). Hughes is effectively the head of the public sector. The soon-to-be-acting prime minister taking this action is effectively the Government suing itself.

In taking on the head of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), Brendan Boyle, Peters is suing the chief executive of an organisation which prosecutes people for welfare fraud.

The good news is that, according to descriptions from those who have worked alongside him, Hughes is the absolute last person in the public sector you would want to mess with. Peters may live to regret including him.

But how is the rest of the public sector meant to properly function with the threat of legal action seemingly hanging over its head?

While Peters has refused to comment, the only role of the bureaucrats in the episode appears to be to do their duty under the ‘‘no surprises’’ policy.

In a case which affects his privacy, it is easy to see why Peters feels aggrieved, and perhaps the policy needs to be changed in order to prevent a similar episode happening again.

But given the role of MSD over incorrect declarations in welfare applications, one has to question what the nature of Peters’ action could affect beyond questioning whether his privacy was breached.

Ardern, who learned of the legal action just hours before the rest of us, has attempted to describe the action as a ‘‘private matter’’, an absurd attempt by the prime minister to avoid the obvious: she is not in control of her deputy. A deputy she is leaving in charge.

These are extraordinary times. Suddenly, with a Government already battling to keep business confidence up, it seems as if everything is up for grabs. We are now being handed lessons that have been coming since Peters walked into the Beehive theatrette on October 20 and announced he was forming a Government with the Left. A Government so broad that the issues on which there is division become so amplified they could almost appear to outnumber ones where there is consensus.

Where previous coalitions since the creation of MMP managed to keep together because the centre of power was so obvious, the timing of Peters’ action will be further unsettling.

Peters, who now has the chance to fulfil his lifelong ambition, should think of the name he gave his party and ask himself – no matter how he ended up in this position – whether this is what the public wants.