Winston Peters

In February 2026, as Green MP Teanau Tuiono used the name Aotearoa, Peters asked why a minister was answering someone "who comes from Rarotonga". Tuiono was born in Auckland and has Māori and Cook Islands Māori heritage.

State of the evidence

parliamentary exchange and Speaker's ruling documented

Legal status — source text

the Speaker ruled that questioning an MP's right to participate on the basis of origin was "highly disorderly", without requiring a retrospective apology

Attribution

personal responsibility for the interjection; characterisation as racism comes from his opponents

Peters and NZ First campaigned to restore or prioritise English names for public bodies and to give English official legal recognition. Māori critics regarded the initiative as a symbolic move marginalising te reo Māori.

State of the evidence

Peters's positions, bill and legislative adoption documented

Legal status — source text

English Language Act adopted in 2026; no personal judicial proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility as NZ First leader and principal advocate of the measure

During debate over the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs, Peters described Rawiri Waititi's facial moko as "scribbles", prompting a strong reaction across te ao Māori and in Parliament.

State of the evidence

remarks, retraction and apology documented

Legal status — source text

parliamentary sanction limited to retraction and apology; no judicial proceedings

Attribution

personal responsibility for the remark

Documents showed that the NZ First Foundation received donations and paid party expenses in a manner that raised serious questions about their disclosure. The matter was referred to the SFO.

State of the evidence

financial flows, investigation and proceedings against two third parties documented

Legal status — source text

Peters was not charged; two people linked to the foundation were acquitted, and the SFO appeal was dismissed in 2024

Attribution

political and governance responsibility as party leader; no automatic personal criminal liability

Person targeted by the proceedings

two people running the NZ First Foundation

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

In a political speech, Peters drew a parallel between debates over co-governance and rights based on ancestry and racial theories that had existed in Nazi Germany. The comparison was condemned as extreme and offensive.

State of the evidence

speech and reactions from Jewish and political leaders documented

Legal status — source text

no personal criminal proceedings

Attribution

personal responsibility for the historical comparison

Peters described public journalism funding introduced after the pandemic as a form of "bribery" and questioned the independence of media outlets receiving public funds. His remarks prompted a strong reaction from journalists' organisations.

State of the evidence

Peters's statements and reactions from media outlets and unions documented

Legal status — source text

no media corruption established; no personal criminal proceedings

Attribution

personal responsibility for the public allegations

Peters visited the anti-Covid-mandate protest camp outside Parliament. Following its removal, he received a notice banning him from the parliamentary precinct for two years, sparking controversy over political freedom.

State of the evidence

visit to the protest camp, trespass notice and subsequent apology by the Speaker documented

Legal status — source text

the Speaker subsequently acknowledged that the notice was unreasonable, irrational and unjustified, and apologised

Attribution

personal responsibility for his decision to visit protesters; administrative sanction ultimately withdrawn

Peters received approximately NZ$18,000 in excess pension payments following an error concerning his family circumstances and repaid the amount. The leak of this information before the 2017 election led him to sue several officials and government departments.

State of the evidence

repaid overpayment and judicial decisions documented

Legal status — source text

privacy action dismissed because the person responsible for the leak could not be identified; final appeal refused

Attribution

limited personal responsibility for the declaration error; data leak is separate

Peters claimed that Harry Tam, a figure associated with the Mongrel Mob, had facilitated the movement of a Covid-positive woman across a health border. Following a challenge and threat of legal action, he acknowledged that the information was incorrect.

State of the evidence

allegation, threat of legal action and apology documented

Legal status — source text

no judgment; Peters withdrew the allegation and apologised

Attribution

personal responsibility for the public allegation

During several campaigns, Peters linked immigration to pressure on infrastructure, crime or insufficient assimilation and particularly targeted Asian immigration. In 2014, his pun 'two Wongs don't make a white' revived these accusations.

State of the evidence

speeches and public reactions documented

Legal status — source text

no personal criminal proceedings retained

Attribution

personal responsibility for his remarks; characterisation as racism/xenophobia comes from critics

Parliament censured Peters after a committee concluded that he had provided false or misleading information concerning a NZ$100,000 donation by Owen Glenn towards his legal costs.

State of the evidence

parliamentary censure documented

Legal status — source text

parliamentary censure; SFO found no basis for a fraud prosecution, and police found no electoral offence

Attribution

personal responsibility for his statements and parliamentary disclosure obligations