Peters: Stop the 'White Bro-rocracy'

Peters: Stop the 'White Bro-rocracy'

Winston Peters has launched a thinly veiled attack on the Speaker of Parliament, calling his expected appointment to a diplomatic post "white bro-rocracy".

Speaker David Carter is thought to be the number one pick to be the next High Commissioner to London when Sir Lockwood Smith -- the previous Speaker -- ends his term early next year. 

But Mr Peters says the practice of appointing ex-politicians has to stop -- and he's even making that official New Zealand First policy.

"Meritocracy has been abandoned in favour of a mainly white 'bro-rocracy'," Mr Peters told students at a Victoria University lecture. 

He says if New Zealand First end up holding the balance of political power, any future appointments he doesn't think are worthy would be dragged back and replaced by what he calls a "capable" candidate. 

"We're not going to tolerate that sort of abuse of Foreign Affairs or the overriding of talented experienced people for political junkies," he said. 

Mr Peters says there were too many friends appointed to high international posts -- calling them "beneficiaries of some golden handshake".

"We would correct such unwise choices by ordering that appointee to return home; and thereby hand the job to someone capable of doing it properly."

Mr Peters and Mr Carter had a run-in during question time at Parliament yesterday -- the Speaker kicked the New Zealand First leader out of the debating chamber for suggesting he was being unfair to the party. 

Mr Peters is standing by it though. 

"I'm not going to be told before I open my mouth what the point of order that he's ruling out is, unless you're clairvoyant, and he's not."

And Mr Peters even tried to claim the policy wasn't personal. 

"I'm not waging war [on David Carter]. I'm waging war in favour of balance and first-world Parliamentary standards."

"We don't personalise these things, I'm just saying we're not going to tolerate these sort of disgraceful appointments when they don't merit it."

Newshub.