Greens bristle at Peters’ remarks, but their own identity politics raise questions

Summarised by Centrist

NZ First leader Winston Peters accused Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March of trying to change the country’s name without public mandate, pointing out that Menéndez March immigrated to New Zealand in 2006. 

The Green MP called the comments “xenophobic” and criticised Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for failing to hold Peters accountable. 

Luxon refused to comment. ACT leader David Seymour distanced himself from Peters’ remarks, arguing that all legal residents should be treated as Kiwis regardless of arrival time. 

Peters defended his stance, saying New Zealand’s official name should be decided by the public, not individual MPs. He later doubled down on social media, calling Menéndez March “arrogant and ignorant.”

This is the latest in a series of comments from NZ First MPs that Greens have condemned as racist, including Shane Jones’ call to “send the Mexicans home” and a remark from National’s Todd McClay in 2024, telling Menéndez March, “you’re not in Mexico now.”

Editor’s Note: The Herald frames this story as a coalition rift while ignoring the Green Party’s inconsistency on identity politics. Menéndez March takes offence at being labelled an outsider, yet his party’s platform frequently frames non-Māori as colonisers. The outrage appears opportunistic, exposing the hypocrisy of a movement that applies different rules depending on who is being criticised.

Read more over at The NZ Herald

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