Ex-foreign minister and sacked diplomat Phil Goff says New Zealand ought to follow the lead of Canada's prime minister in uniting against coercion from great powers.
Goff told Q+A that Aotearoa's voice on the international scene had become "so quiet that it's not heard" and said it failed to challenge US President Donald Trump's actions.
The veteran politician has been critical of the Government's foreign policy, accusing it of trying to "ingratiate" Trump instead of standing up for New Zealand's values.
"You've got to stand up for your values and your principles and what you know to be right... We haven't had any explicit criticism," said Goff, who had been sacked as high commissioner to the UK last year after making public comments about Trump.
"It's wrong when a big power says they are going to take over part of another country, in this case, Greenland, simply because they want to. It is wrong when you hear somebody say that climate change is a hoax when we know it's real."
The former Labour leader said the Government should follow the example set by Carney, who called on middle powers to work together against coercion in a speech at Davos.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Goff’s comments made his position in London “untenable”. (Source: 1News)
"What I would dearly like to see is New Zealand backing that sort of leadership that Canada has given and working with likeminded countries to fight for what we believe in, rather than trying to ingratiate ourselves with President Trump," Goff said.
When asked whether his criticism of the Government stemmed from being sacked by Foreign Minister Winston Peters last year, Goff said it was "hardly at all".
'Trump lite'
Goff said Peters was acting like "Trump lite", pointing to the foreign minister's positions on the World Health Organisation and Paris Agreement. The former minister argued that appeasing Trump would not work, comparing it to dealing with a "playground bully".
"Silence is not neutral. It's permissive," Goff said. "The downside of doing nothing is like doing nothing to the playground bully. You only encourage them."
He said historical moments when the country stood up for its values, including the nuclear-free policy and the decision not to join the Iraq War, were times "New Zealand was really proud of".
Former London representative says he was more than willing to pay the price for speaking out against US President Donald Trump. (Source: 1News)
"We had the courage of our convictions, and we led and we worked with other nations. We're seeing none of that now," he said.
On the recently announced free trade deal with India, Goff said Labour should support it despite its exclusion of dairy. But he said the PM had weakened New Zealand's negotiating position by setting a deadline on reaching a deal on the campaign trail.
"The last thing a negotiator needs is to have an advantage given to the other side."
Peters has previously been invited on Q+A but has declined to appear as minister.
Peters dismissive of Goff, purported 'rupture'
The Foreign Minister, in comments published last month by The Post, had been dismissive of Carney's Davos speech, questioning who had written it and suggesting the rupture in world order had begun much earlier than the Canadian PM claimed.
Peters also said he didn't take Trump's threats to turn Canada into the 51st state seriously.
"Thinking out loud is one way of conducting foreign policy. But there's no reason for the rest of us to react to that," Peters told The Post.
Goff has been critical of Peters in the public arena for weeks.
Asked to respond, the Foreign Minister told the NZ Herald in January: "You've got some people who somehow think we're going to make New Zealand great by beating our guns off all the time and showing off. "
Peters also criticised Goff's own record as a politician.
"These people have been in politics a long time ago. They left. They were never great performers when they were there and probably did even worse job when he was the Mayor of Auckland. We all know what a disaster Auckland became."
Carney's speech seen as landmark
In his Davos address last month, Carney declared the world was experiencing "a rupture, not a transition" in the international order, with great powers now using tariffs as leverage and supply chains as vulnerabilities to exploit.
He called on middle powers to unite against this shift, warning that "if we're not at the table, we're on the menu". The speech was widely perceived as veiled criticism of Donald Trump's administration and the newest shifts in US trade and foreign policy.
The Canadian PM used a Cold War-era essay about life under communism to make his point. It described a shopkeeper who placed signs in his window supporting the regime, not because he believed them but to avoid trouble.
Carney argued middle powers had been doing the same – "living within a lie" about the international order. They knew the US and other powers applied rules unevenly, he said, but participated anyway because they benefited from the stability it provided.
He declared that "it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down" and stop pretending the rules-based order still functioned as advertised.
The speech drew a standing ovation at Davos and praise from international leaders, but prompted a sharp response from Trump, who said, "Canada lives because of the United States" and later rescinded Carney's invitation to his Board of Peace.
For the full interview with Phil Goff, watch the video above
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
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