\u201cAs you\u2019d expect, it is the PM\u2019s job to always challenge the advice he receives and, in this case, he sought to test New Zealand\u2019s position against that of Canada and Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public statements made by the Government reflect the PM\u2019s position. If they didn\u2019t, they would not have been made,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
The emails were released to the Herald under the Official Information Act (OIA).<\/p>\n
Luxon\u2019s spokesman said the decision by Peters\u2019 office to release the emails \u201cclearly put politics ahead of the national interest\u201d.<\/p>\n
The spokesman said Luxon would have expected Peters to show \u201cbetter judgment\u201d after more than 40 years in politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PM met with Mr Peters this evening to make that point and Mr Peters acknowledged he made a mistake,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Peters said there was nothing further to add. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe minister confirms he had a meeting with the Prime Minister and he was surprised that the OIA request had not been sent to PMO as well,\u201d the spokesman said, using an acronym for the Prime Minister\u2019s Office. <\/p>\n
The spokesman did not confirm Luxon\u2019s office\u2019s precise account of the meeting. It is possible Peters has a different recollection. <\/p>\n
The war broke out on February 28 when the United States and Israel struck targets in Iran.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Winston Peters “acknowledged he made a mistake” in releasing the emails, a spokesman for Christopher Luxon said. Photo \/ RNZ, Mark Papalii<\/p>\n
On Monday, March 2, Luxon was asked by RNZ\u2019s Morning Report whether New Zealand supported the US and Israel\u2019s strikes.<\/p>\n
Luxon answered that New Zealand \u201cacknowledge[d]\u201d<\/a> the strikes, but was silent on whether New Zealand supported them.<\/p>\n This line repeated a position agreed between Luxon and Peters in their first statement on the war<\/a>. This wording, emphasising acknowledgement but not support, was different from the likes of Australia, whose statements on the war emphasised the fact that their country explicitly supported the strikes.<\/p>\n Later that morning, senior staff from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), the public service agency that provides Luxon with policy advice, emailed Peters\u2019 office suggesting Luxon\u2019s talking points be updated to align with a statement from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese<\/a>.<\/p>\n The email noted that changing these talking points would have flow-on effects to New Zealand\u2019s foreign policy, including the question of whether New Zealand believed the strikes were illegal under international law.<\/p>\n