Summarised by Centrist
Phil Goff, the former Labour leader and Auckland mayor, has been fired from his role as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK after publicly ridiculing Donald
Trump’s intelligence.
At a London event, Goff smugly asked:
“President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”
The audience laughed—NZ’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters did not.
“You represent the government and the policies of the day—you’re not able to free-think,” Peters said, making it clear Goff’s position had become “untenable.”
This isn’t Goff’s first blunder. In 2023, he insulted Māori King Kīngi Tūheitia at a coronation event. Now, he’s burned bridges with the US—one of New Zealand’s biggest trading partners.
In a post on X, former Labour PM Helen Clark attempted to defend Goff, calling the reasons for his sacking “a very thin excuse.”
Labour’s Chris Hipkins admitted Goff’s remarks “overstepped the mark” for a diplomat, though he tried to downplay the fallout.
Peters told reporters he fired Phil Goff without consulting Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
When reminded that Luxon is New Zealand’s leader, Peters shot back: “I know he’s the prime minister, I made him the prime minister.”
Read more at RNZ and The Guardian
Image: Facebook
