Labour and the Greens are calling for Winston Peters to be sacked as Foreign Minister, and National's own campaign spokesperson has branded his comments "racist", after Peters told Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to "go back to your own country" in Parliament this week.
The New Zealand First leader characterised his comments as "defending New Zealand's democracy" and dismissed accusations of racism as "drivel".
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called the comments "attention-seeking" and said Peters was trying to "get the media and other politicians to talk about him instead of the issues Kiwis are facing".
"To our Kiwi-Chinese community, National and I back you, and to every New Zealander who wants representatives focused on the issues that matter to you, rather than attention-seeking for cheap headlines, Party Vote National," he said.
Speaker: Winston Peters' comment to Green Party MP was 'inappropriate' - Watch on TVNZ+
NZ First leader, who is also Foreign Minister, made the remark responding to heckling during a speech in the House. (Source: 1News)
National's campaign spokesperson Simeon Brown went further however, calling the comments "racist".
"I represent an electorate with a huge number of Chinese New Zealanders, and they'll be looking at that and saying... that's someone who doesn't represent me," he told media.
Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said Peters shouldn't continue as Foreign Minister.
"Those comments are so incredibly racist and offensive, and you cannot make those types of comments as a minister, as a Cabinet minister, but particularly as the Minister for Foreign Affairs," she said.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters responded to heckling by saying to Lawrence Xu-Nan: "I know you just came here five minutes ago. Go back to your own country." (Parliament TV) (Source: Supplied)
Green MP Tamatha Paul said she would have sacked Peters. "Racism is unacceptable... it's not the 70s anymore".
Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour echoed Luxon's "attention-seeking" line, saying he felt it best not to give the comments oxygen.
He acknowledged they were inappropriate for a Foreign Minister, but noted Peters was speaking as NZ First leader.
'Be better' Race Relations Commissioner tells politicians
Race Relations Commissioner Melissa Derby said she was "extremely disappointed", particularly given Peters' role as Foreign Minister.
"While the nature of politics often comes with rough-and-tumble dialogue, it's also important for our leaders to remember that they set a tone in terms of what's acceptable, and real people are affected when comments like this are made," she said, urging politicians to "be better" and not "add to polarisation for the sake of clicks".
A NZ First candidate resigned after comments stepped over the line others are also treading. (Source: 1News)
NZ First controversies
Peters' comments are the latest in a string of recent remarks by NZ First figures to have sparked controversy.
In April, NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones described the Government's free trade agreement with India as a "butter chicken tsunami", saying in an online video that "unfettered immigration" from the deal would drive down wages, clog roads and overwhelm the health system.
"I don't care how much criticism we get. I am just never going to agree with a butter chicken tsunami coming to New Zealand," Jones said.
The comment drew condemnation from New Zealand's Indian community.
Luxon called the remarks "unhelpful" but stopped short of calling them racist. Jones later defended the comment as "hyperbole", saying he used such language to get "cut-through" with voters.
Then, earlier this month, Jones took a swipe at Luxon over his warm reception of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telling the NZ First party convention that politicians should "take off your kneepads" the next time they greet a visiting foreign leader.
Luxon called the remark "crass and unprofessional", while Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Jones would have been sacked had he made the comment as a Labour MP.
Days later, former hopeful in the Napier electorate Stuart Nash quit as NZ First's candidate over a text calling National MP Katie Nimon lazy after she took parental leave. Luxon had ruled him out from becoming a government minister under his leadership.
Departure from the Napier electorate race isn’t enough for some, who insist he should apologise. (Source: 1News)
Political communication professor Aeron Davis told 1News crude political language was "directly imported from the Trump playbook" and tended to surface "whenever populist parties are on the rise".
Political commentator Brigitte Morton said NZ First was building "a record now of comments that are out of step of the standards that we expect", pointing to the "butter chicken tsunami" and "kneepads" remarks specifically.
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