Peters hits the mark abroad
Deputy PM’s charm makes foreign affairs a perfect fit
If there’s one job Winston Peters is suited to it’s foreign affairs. He likes the global picture and is determined to make his mark on it. There might not be a lot of diplomacy when it comes to the media, but he knows that relationship will survive because of mutual need.
And consistency isn’t always his strongest point.
He declared after getting his new/ old job back there’ll be no jobs for the boy and girls, former politicians getting plum diplomatic postings, even though when he was last in the job he appointed one of his MPs — the likeable, late Brian Donnelly — to the Cook Islands where admittedly he was well connected.
He’s also said he’d bring political appointees back to the country, although trade expert and former National Cabinet minister Tim Groser is expected to be safe in Washington. Maurice Williamson, sunning himself in Los Angeles, is another matter though.
Soon he’ll announce Annette King’s appointment to Canberra as our High Commissioner, no doubt arguing there are exceptions to the rule. He knows there’ll be little argument about the popular King getting the plum job with our second biggest trading partner after China. Perhaps she could knock some sense into the stubborn Aussies about their deteriorating relationship with us.
Peters’ dapper appearance and broad smile seems to hit the mark with those who he wants to impress. His warm relationship with Condoleezza Rice, George W Bush’s former Secretary of State, finally saw us shedding the very, very, very good friend status to be restored to an ally which in diplomatic terms removed the irritating stone in the shoe.
His first outing as reinstated Foreign Minister in Vietnam saw him charming Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, to such an extent that the big Texan invited him back for a second, unexpected meeting. What it was about is anybody’s guess, and even though Peters said he’d be saying something about it within a few days, nothing was forthcoming.
It was speculated he may go to North Korea, as he did the last time he was in the job. A trip there is still high on the cards.
In a couple of days he’ll meet the bristly Australian Foreign Minister and his charm will no doubt again win the day, even though Julie Bishop has said it’d be hard to have a good relationship with a Labour-led Government.
That was after Chris Hipkins, now a senior minister, was accused of dobbing in their Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for being a phantom Kiwi, forcing him to resign.
King will get to pick up the pieces.