{"id":280072,"date":"2026-02-12T07:33:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T07:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/280072\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T07:33:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T07:33:09","slug":"winston-peters-didnt-get-advice-on-reserve-bank-governor-letter-before-complaining-she-didnt-get-advice-before-signing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/280072\/","title":{"rendered":"Winston Peters didn\u2019t get advice on Reserve Bank Governor letter before complaining she didn\u2019t get advice before signing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Green MP Francisco Hernandez asked the minister via a written parliamentary question what advice he had received on the decision of the Governor to sign a letter of support.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone,\u201d Peters responded.<\/p>\n

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is statutorily independent of Central Government on matters of monetary policy.
\u00a0
However, the RBNZ has no role, nor should it involve itself, in US domestic politics. We remind the Governor to stay in her New Zealand lane and stick to domestic\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Winston Peters (@NewZealandMFA) January 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Peters told the Herald he didn\u2019t need advice \u201cbecause I know what the situation is\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the minister and I know the constitutional niceties here. I\u2019ve been around for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peters said he is a former Treasurer, \u201cso I just might know what I\u2019m talking about\u201d. <\/p>\n

He suggested he had been vindicated as \u201cshe has apologised to me\u201d. Breman apologised for not seeking advice before signing the letter.<\/p>\n

\"WinstonWinston Peters rebuked the new head of the Reserve Bank of NZ. Image \/ Rod Emmerson <\/p>\n

Teanau Tuiono, the Green Party foreign affairs spokesman, was critical of Peters.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t tell someone that they should have sought advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get across the issues when you haven\u2019t done that yourself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat it looks like to me is that the Winston is continuing to pander to the Trump Administration, which is incredibly problematic.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Peters\u2019 actions show he is \u201cloose on the lip and too quick on the hip\u201d.<\/p>\n

Peters may have experience in the role, but he should be \u201cupdating himself with the official information from ministry officials\u201d, the Green MP said.<\/p>\n

\"GreenGreen MP Teanau Tuiono said Peters should have sought the advice. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell <\/p>\n

Breman signed the statement issued in January on behalf of several heads of central banks<\/a>, saying they stood in \u201cfull solidarity with the Federal Reserve system and its chair, Jerome H. Powell\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability.<\/p>\n

\u201cChair Powell has served with integrity, focused on his mandate and an unwavering commitment to the public interest. To us, he is a respected colleague who is held in the highest regard by all who have worked with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those who signed the letter are Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank; Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey; Michele Bullock, of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and Breman.<\/p>\n

It came after the US Justice Department launched a probe into Powell relating to the renovation of Federal Reserve office buildings.<\/p>\n

Finance Minister Nicola Willis also wasn\u2019t consulted by Breman before<\/a> she added her name.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe put to me that she\u2019d been reluctant to contact me at 3am in the morning,\u201d said Willis.<\/p>\n

She told the Governor: \u201cLook, I\u2019m available any time, and that\u2019s what New Zealanders expect from me. So that I made clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also did make clear to her that that would have provided an opportunity to get advice from a range of perspectives. How that would have borne on her final decision, I don\u2019t know. I wouldn\u2019t speculate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald\u2019s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.<\/p>\n