You can’t speak personally in your portfolio

Clark and Peters have already stretched constitutional conventions to their limits by coming up with silly concepts such as being Foreign Minister, yet not being in Cabinet. We saw yesterday the path this leads us to.

It’s one thing for Peters to give personal opinions on non portfolio matters such as compulsory superannuation, but you simply can not have the Minister of Foreign Affairs give “personal opinions” to the media on issues such as Iraq.

Alexander Downer is not meeting with him for Winston’s personal opinion, Neither are the media. They are there because his job is to talk on behalf of the NZ Government.

Peters is of course blaming the media.

As it happens I agree with the views Winston put forward. But they are not the views of the NZ Government, whom he is meant to represent.