The Prime Minister has stopped short of publicly berating Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for comparing race relations in New Zealand to Nazi Germany, however he does plan to give Peters a talking to.
The Deputy Prime Minister wouldn't back down from his comments on Monday, and now Christopher Luxon is calling on all political parties to take the rhetoric down a notch.
Peters' trademark grin got a diplomatic spin, welcoming Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Parliament.
"Nice place," Wang said upon arriving.
"It is, it is," Peters replied.
The same and yet a totally different man from the Peters who on Sunday likened race relations in New Zealand to one of the worst atrocities in modern humanity.
"I've seen that sort of philosophy before. I saw it in Nazi Germany, we all did," Peters said.
"We've seen it elsewhere around the world in the horrors of history. But here right in our country and tolerated by people whose job it was to keep the system honest."
Peters did not even ponder a backpedal on Monday.
"Last year, Waititi from the Māori Party said that Māori had superior DNA," said Peters.
"The moment you say that, you are heading down the pathway of separatism, apartheid and all the ugly business of racism and exclusivity."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Peters' comments were "totally unacceptable."
"They actually reflect not only on the New Zealand Government, but poorly on New Zealand. This is our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs."
Hipkins likened him to a drunk uncle at a wedding, but Peters hit back saying Hipkins couldn't even handle a wine biscuit.
"I will concede right now that Winston Peters' tolerance for alcohol will be a lot higher than mine. He has had a lot more practice," Hipkins said.
Asked on Monday if he had spoken to Peters about the comments, Luxon said he hadn't had a chance "but we talk regularly and I plan to talk to him about it".
The Prime Minister wants some decorum back and is "calling on people from all political parties to maintain the civility in our politics and I don't think extreme language on either side, from any particular party, is either helpful or necessary".
"That's not what I would say. [That's] not the way I would phrase it at all," said Luxon of Peters' comments.
Hipkins said Luxon should haul Peters in and tell him his conduct isn't acceptable.
Luxon said: "I've seen Chris Hipkins refer to our Government as a dictatorship, I have seen the Māori Party refer to us as white supremacists who have some sort of genocide agenda. I don't think any of that inflammatory language is very helpful at all."
Not specifically rebuking his Foreign Minister but calling for cooler heads across the spectrum.
