Winston Peters has set his sights on "woke left-wing diversity targets", similar to those found in his party's constitution. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Winston Peters has angrily rejected evidence that his party's constitution has similar diversity requirements as the public service targets that he wants scrapped.
New Zealand First last week proposed new legislation which it says would end "woke left-wing diversity targets".
But the party's own constitution says list rankings for candidates should consider things like gender, social groups, ages and ethnicity.
A reporter asked Peters on Wednesday how this was different from the public service targets of diversity equity and inclusion (DEI).
"The constitution of New Zealand First says the list rankings should consider the gender diversity of the MPs," a reporter said to Peters. "Isn't that DEI?"
"No, it's not," Peters responded.
"It's got two words for a start, not three," he said.
When pressed again by reporters, Peters offered to hold a class for them "pro bono".
It was unclear what the class would be for.
Earlier today, Peters said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advertising a job for a 'tikanga lead' was a case of a bad idea getting "dug in deeper than ticks on a hound".
Peters has been adamant diversity was being preferred over merit for people getting jobs in the public sector.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told RNZ on Tuesday he was open to adopting some of his coalition partner's ideas.
Luxon said he had tasked minister Judith Collins with overhauling the Public Service Act to ensure it was a "meritocracy".
Asked for examples of wokeness, Luxon cited the Labour government's focus on "Wellbeing Budgets", co-governance, and the target to reduce prisoner numbers.
Peters told Morning Report "all sorts of judgements" were being made about employing people. Employers were not making their selections on merit, but on criteria they had made up themselves.
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