Christopher Luxon Tells Off David Seymour Over Letter To United Nations
'I've just made it clear that I expect Winston Peters to be the person that engages with the UN,' the prime minister told reporters.
, Acting Political Editor
Regulations Minister David Seymour has been given a telling-off by the prime minister for sending a scathing letter to a United Nations official about his red-tape-busting legislation.
Speaking to media on Tuesday morning, PM Christopher Luxon said, while he 'fully agreed' with the content of Seymour's message, the responsibility for engaging with the UN lay with Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
Luxon said he had not asked Seymour to retract his letter but had spoken with him directly.
'I'm not going into those conversations,' Luxon said. 'I've just made it clear that I expect Winston Peters to be the person that engages with the UN.'
In a statement to RNZ, Seymour said he stood by the contents of his letter but acknowledged he had been 'too efficient' in his correspondence.
'One response should come from the Minister for Foreign Affairs on behalf of all ministers,' Seymour said.
'Winston and I have fixed the problem. I'm going to withdraw my letter so that the government can send one response. I expect that letter to make the same points.'
Last month, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K Barume, issued a letter to government ministers expressing a number of concerns, including about Seymour's Regulatory Standards Bill.
One of his criticisms was that the legislation excluded Māori traditions and failed to uphold principles guaranteed by the Treaty of Waitangi.
As first reported by the NZ Herald, Seymour fired back, in his capacity as Regulations Minister, describing the UN letter as 'presumptive, condescending, and wholly misplaced'.
He said Barume's description of the Regulatory Standards Bill's approach to tikanga was 'not only incorrect but offensive'.
'As an indigenous New Zealander myself, I am deeply aggrieved by your audacity in presuming to speak on my behalf and that of my fellow Māori regarding legislation that aims solely at ensuring clarity, consistency, and accountability in regulatory processes.'
Seymour signed off his letter: 'We neither require nor welcome external lectures on our governance, particularly from bodies whose understanding of our nuanced historical, cultural, and constitutional context is so clearly deficient.'
Luxon said he agreed with Seymour that the UN letter was 'a total waste of time' but stressed proper processes needed to be followed.
'All of us in government can read the letter and say, hey, it's total bunkum,' Luxon told reporters.
'But our response will come from Winston Peters… he will have a comprehensive reply in due course.'
Also speaking on Tuesday morning, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the events proved the 'dysfunctional' nature of the coalition and were 'downright embarrassing'.
'Most days, it doesn't appear that Christopher Luxon is actually in charge of his own government,' Hipkins said. 'Winston Peters and David Seymour seem to do whatever they like.'
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the matter of who replied to correspondence from the UN had been resolved.
Peters said experience matters in the business of diplomacy and 'fixed' the issue after speaking to Seymour.
He said he was still consulting affected ministries, and would craft a response when that's complete.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Scoop
David Robie: New Zealand Must Do More For Pacific And Confront Nuclear Powers
Article – RNZ The New Zealand government needs to do more for its Pacific Island neighbours and stand up to nuclear powers, a distinguished journalist, media educator and author says., Pacific Waves presenter/producer Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/bulletin editor The New Zealand government needs to do more for its Pacific Island neighbours and stand up to nuclear powers, a distinguished journalist, media educator and author says. Professor David Robie, a recipient of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM), released the latest edition of his book Eyes of Fire: The last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior, which highlights the nuclear legacies of the United States and France. Robie, who has worked in Pacific journalism and academia for 50 years, recounts his experiences aboard the Greenpeace vessel the Rainbow Warrior in 1985, before it was bombed in Auckland Harbour. At the time, New Zealand stood up to nuclear powers, he said. 'It was pretty callous [of] the US and French authorities to think they can just carry on nuclear tests in the Pacific, far away from the metropolitan countries, out of the range of most media, and just do what they like,' Robie told RNZ Pacific. 'It is shocking, really.' Speaking to Pacific Waves, Robie said that Aotearoa had forgotten how to stand up for the region. 'The real issue in the Pacific is about climate crisis and climate justice. And we're being pushed this way and that by the US [and] by the French. The French want to make a stake in their Indo-Pacific policies as well,' he said. 'We need to stand up for smaller Pacific countries.' Robie believes that New Zealand is failing with its diplomacy in the region. He accused the coalition government of being 'too timid' and 'afraid of offending President Donald Trump' to make a stand on the nuclear issue. However, a spokesperson for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Pacific that New Zealand's 'overarching priority…is to work with Pacific partners to achieve a secure, stable, and prosperous region that preserves Pacific sovereignty and agency'. The spokesperson said that through its foreign policy reset, New Zealand was committed to 'comprehensive relationships' with Pacific Island countries. 'New Zealand's identity, prosperity and security are intertwined with the Pacific through deep cultural, people, historical, security, and economic linkages.' The New Zealand government commits almost 60 percent of its development funding to the region. The spokesperson said that the Pacific was becoming increasingly contested and complex. 'New Zealand has been clear with all of our partners that it is important that engagement in the Pacific takes place in a manner which advances Pacific priorities, is consistent with established regional practices, and supportive of Pacific regional institutions.' They added that New Zealand's main focus remains on the Pacific, 'where we will be working with partners including the United States, Australia, Japan and in Europe to more intensively leverage greater support for the region. 'We will maintain the high tempo of political engagement across the Pacific to ensure alignment between our programme and New Zealand and partner priorities. And we will work more strategically with Pacific Governments to strengthen their systems, so they can better deliver the services their people need,' the spokesperson said. But former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, writing in the preface of Robie's book, said: 'New Zealand needs to re-emphasise the principles and values which drove its nuclear-free legislation and its advocacy for a nuclear-free South Pacific and global nuclear disarmament.' Robie added that looking back 40 years to the 1980s, there was a strong sense of pride in being from Aotearoa, the small country which set an example around the world. 'We took on…the nuclear powers,' Robie said. 'And the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was symbolic of that struggle, in a way, but it was a struggle that most New Zealanders felt a part of, and we were very proud of that [anti-nuclear] role that we took. Over the years, it has sort of been forgotten'. 'Look at history' France conducted 193 nuclear tests over three decades until 1996 in French Polynesia. Until 2009, France claimed that its tests were clean and caused no harm, but in 2010, under the stewardship of Defence Minister Herve Morin, a compensation law was passed. From 1946 to 1962, 67 nuclear bombs were detonated in the Marshall Islands by the US. In 2024, then-US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell, while responding to a question from RNZ Pacific about America's nuclear legacy, said: 'Washington has attempted to address it constructively with massive resources and a sustained commitment.' However, Robie said that was not good enough and labelled the destruction left behind by the US, and France, as 'outrageous'. 'It is political speak; politicians trying to cover their backs and so on. If you look at history, [the response] is nowhere near good enough, both by the US and the French.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
David Seymour agrees to withdraw scathing letter after critiques from coalition
The Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has agreed to withdraw a scathing letter he wrote to the United Nations - after being hauled into line by his coalition partners and the Prime Minister. But he's refusing to accept he did anything wrong. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.
Scoop
6 hours ago
- Scoop
The SDGs Have Improved Millions Of Lives Over The Past Decade, But Progress Remains Insufficient, UN Report Finds
New York, 14 July 2025 – A decade after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations released today the 10th edition of its annual progress report, The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025. The report provides a stark assessment and a strong call for action. While millions of lives have improved, through gains in health, education, energy, and digital connectivity, the pace of change remains insufficient to meet the Goals by 2030. The latest available data show that only 35 per cent of targets are on track or making moderate progress, while nearly half are moving too slowly and 18 per cent have regressed. "We are facing a development emergency,' said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. 'But this report is more than a snapshot of today. It's also a compass pointing the way to progress. This report shows that the Sustainable Development Goals are still within reach. But only if we act – with urgency, unity, and unwavering resolve.' Progress amid adversity Despite cascading global challenges, the report documents notable global achievements: New HIV infections have declined by nearly 40 per cent since 2010. Malaria prevention has averted 2.2 billion cases and saved 12.7 million lives since 2000. Social protection now reaches over half the world's population, up significantly from a decade ago. Since 2015, 110 million more children and youth have entered school. Child marriage is in decline, with more girls staying in school and women gaining ground in parliaments around the world. In 2023, 92 per cent of the world's population had access to electricity. Internet use has surged from 40 per cent in 2015 to 68 per cent in 2024, unlocking access to education, jobs, and civic participation. Conservation efforts have doubled protection of key ecosystems, contributing to global biodiversity resilience. Hard truths and systemic risks At the same time, the report calls attention to challenges that continue to hold back sustainable development progress: More than 800 million people still live in extreme poverty. Billions still lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Climate change pushed 2024 to be the hottest year on record, with temperatures 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. Conflicts caused nearly 50,000 deaths in 2024. By the end of that year, over 120 million people were forcibly displaced. Low- and middle-income countries faced record-high debt servicing costs of $1.4 trillion in 2023. A roadmap for acceleration The report calls for action across six priority areas where intensified effort can generate transformative impact: food systems, energy access, digital transformation, education, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity action. It also urges governments and partners to implement the Medellín Framework for Action, a roadmap adopted at the 2024 UN World Data Forum, to strengthen data systems essential for responsive policymaking. Success stories show that the Goals are achievable Global averages may mask meaningful advances in many countries that have made substantial progress across different Goals. For example, 45 countries have achieved universal electricity access in the past decade and 54 countries had eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease by the end of 2024. These national and local successes, driven by sound policies, strong institutions, and inclusive partnerships, prove that accelerated progress is not only possible, but already happening. The final five years to 2030 present an opportunity to deliver on the promises of the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda is not aspirational; it is non-negotiable. 'This is not a moment for despair, but for determined action,' said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. 'We have the knowledge, tools, and partnerships to drive transformation. What we need now is urgent multilateralism—a recommitment to shared responsibility and sustained investment.' Additional key facts and figures: Progress Between 2012 and 2024, the prevalence of stunting among children under age 5 decreased from 26.4 per cent to 23.2 per cent. Healthy life expectancy increased by over five years between 2000 and 2019. However, COVID-19 reversed some of these gains, cutting life expectancy by 1.8 years. Global maternal mortality ratio dropped from 228 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015 to 197 in 2023. Under-5 mortality fell to 37 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023, a 16 per cent reduction from 44 in 2015. By the end of 2024, 54 countries had eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. Between 2019 and 2024, 99 positive legal reforms were implemented to remove discriminatory laws and establish gender equality frameworks. As of 1 January 2025, women held 27.2 per cent of the seats in national parliaments, up 4.9 percentage points from 2015. Renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source today and is projected to surpass coal as the primary electricity source in 2025. 5G mobile broadband now covers 51 per cent of the global population. Setbacks Without a significant acceleration in efforts, 8.9 per cent of the global population will still be living in extreme poverty by 2030 under the revised international poverty line. Nearly 1 in 11 people worldwide faced hunger in 2023. In 2023, 272 million children and youth remained out of school. Women perform 2.5 times as many unpaid domestic and care work as men. In 2024, 2.2 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion went without safely managed sanitation, and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene services at home. The global refugee population has surged to 37.8 million by mid-2024. Worldwide, 1.12 billion people live in slums or informal settlements without basic services. Official development assistance declined 7.1 per cent in 2024 after five years of growth, with further cuts expected through 2025.
