Winston Peters hits out after questions over NZ First’s own diversity policy

Wednesday, 12 March 2025

Winston Peters takes questions from the media about NZ First's constitution, pushing back on claims about diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

Winston Peters is hitting out at questions about whether his own party employs the sort of “DEI” policies he’s started campaigning against.

The NZ First leader has been arguing that the Government should put an end to policies which encourage diversity in the public sector workforce.

At the same time as Peters was calling to end of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), policies that he called “woke-left wing social engineering”, he has been questioned about whether his party and ministry are using those same diversity principles.

NZ First’s own constitution states that the list ranking of MPs should be made with consideration of “the need for different genders, social groups, ages and ethnic groups to be represented”.

But Peters brushed of suggestions of hypocrisy on Wednesday evening, after Stuff asked whether his party’s requirement to consider the gender and diversity of its caucus was itself a DEI policy.

“What has that got to do with DEI,” Peters said.

NZ First leader Winston Peters has hit out at questions about his party’s diveristy policy.

He told reporters to “go and see what DEI means”, and then said: “Our constitution has two words and no way can they be construed as three words you are using.”

It was not clear what two words he was referring to.

When Stuff read the NZ First diversity clause to Peters, which includes four terms - “genders, social groups, ages and ethnic groups” - he walked away while shouting: “Listen moron, I’ve just told you once.”

The questions about NZ First’s party constitution followed earlier questions about whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which Peters is in charge of, was also employing so-called DEI policies.

The ministry was advertising for a lead tikanga advisor on Wednesday.

Asked about that role on Wednesday afternoon, Peters said he would put a stop to that recruitment campaign.

“There will not be an appointment, all right,” he said.

But when Stuff checked the ministry’s careers page on Wednesday night, the job was still there.

Peters’ recent focus on diversity policies followed heavy debate in the US, with President Donald Trump rallying against “DEI” hiring.

During his address to Congress last week, Trump declared: “We have ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and indeed the private sector.”

Without evidence, Trump blamed air crashes on DEI policies.

Following that speech to Congress, Peters brought the issue into New Zealand politics with a bill to “put an end to woke-left wing social engineering”.

Later, writing on social media, Peters claimed NZ First’s policy was not “DEI” because the constitution did not set a target or quota for how diverse its party should be.