Foreign Minister Winston Peters says he told Canadian representatives he had been misrepresented over comments he made about the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada while he was visiting India in March.
Peters made the comments while in New Delhi on a free trade-focused mission, igniting a storm in the Indian press which framed the remarks as casting doubt on the evidence linking India to the killing.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a controversial figure – according to the BBC - India had labelled him a "terrorist" and the "mastermind" behind the Khalistan Tiger Force, a banned militant group.
To his supporters, Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was a peaceful champion of Sikh independence.
He was fatally shot outside a British Columbia temple in June last year.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously said his government was investigating “credible links” between India and the killing.
India called the claims “absurd” and there has since been a deterioration in relations between the nations.
In the March interview, Peters said "the value or the quality" of evidence obtained by spy network Five Eyes isn't always clear and noted there had been no finding on the case.
Peters' comments prompted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advise him to contact the Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly to "set the Indian media commentary in a broader context".
In May, a spokesperson for the Peters told 1News the Minister "has interacted with his Canadian counterpart several times since the Delhi visit and the issue referred to has been discussed".
Today, after fronting the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade select committee as part of Scrutiny Week at Parliament, Peters said there had been "a total misrepresentation" of what he had said at the time.
"I'm not going to get caught up with this sort of gaslighting behaviour of certain people in the media, even those that think they've got some point.
"What I said was, 'I haven't seen the details and research of that, and when I have, I'll tell you what my answer is'. That's what a wise person would do, and particularly one with a legal background, rather than to shoot your mouth off without knowing what the facts were.
"And that's what I told the Canadians very clearly, was the truth against the misrepresentation that was being put to them."
Asked if in light of that the diplomatic relationship between Canada and New Zealand was in good heart, he said: "Of course it is".
Asked if that was still the case despite a trade dispute with Canada over dairy, Peters said New Zealand had had trade disputes before.
"It took us 80 years to get apples into Australia, that was a long dispute, and we've got one now on manuka honey. It doesn't mean you're going to break up a friendship like some snobby teenager who doesn't understand that there's adults in the room and you've got to behave like one."
The Minister's office later sent 1News an X post showing Peters and Joly sharing a laugh in Brussels in April.
What did Peters say?
Peters was asked by The Indian Express during his visit to India whether Canada has shared information on the case of Nijjar's killing.
“Well, I wasn’t here, it was handled by the previous government. But look, sometimes when you’re hearing Five Eyes information, you’re hearing it and saying nothing. It is coming past you. You don’t know the value or the quality of it, but you’re pleased to have it," he said.
"You don’t know whether there is going to be substantial material value or nothing. But the very, very critical information that matters… This was mainly handled by the previous government.
“As a trained lawyer, I look okay, so where’s the case? Where’s the evidence? Where’s the finding right here, right now? Well, there isn’t one,” he said.
Afterwards, a spokesperson for the Minister said: “New Zealand’s position on the allegations remains unchanged - if they are proven correct then that would be of serious concern.
"The Minister’s point is that this an ongoing criminal investigation. It needs to run its course before clear conclusions can be drawn.”
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