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Australia’s political landscape has sparked concern from its closest ally. New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, has expressed dismay over the frequent leadership changes within the Australian Coalition, even quipping that it might not be worthwhile to establish a relationship with the new shadow foreign minister. Peters, who is well-versed in diplomacy from his experiences in the governments of Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern, and Christopher Luxon, criticized the upheaval as driven by ‘ego’.
When questioned about his connection with Angus Taylor, the newly appointed Opposition Leader, the 80-year-old Peters instead commented on the tumultuous leadership battles in Australia. Speaking to AAP in Wellington, he remarked, “As an outsider, I’m quite aghast. The stable eras of Hawke and Howard were crucial to Australia’s success, marked by civility. The current level of turnover is truly inexcusable, with both the Labor and Liberal parties experiencing significant changes.”
Peters further questioned, “At what point do these parties step back and reflect on their priorities, considering if personal ego should really drive leadership elevation?” Angus Taylor recently became the third leader of the Liberal Party within a year after defeating Sussan Ley in a leadership ballot. Although Peters criticized both major parties, it is notable that the Labor Party has maintained relatively stable leadership, with only two leaders, Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese, over the past 13 years.
The Coalition’s turnover in its foreign affairs spokesperson is even more pronounced, with five serving in the role since 2022: Marise Payne, Simon Birmingham, David Coleman, Michaelia Cash, and now, Ted O’Brien. In contrast, Penny Wong has served as Labor’s foreign affairs spokesperson in opposition and then government for almost a decade. Mr Peters said the task of ensuring strong relations wasn’t helped by political turnover.
‘It makes your job harder because you keep on getting new leaders,’ he said, before joking he may not need to begin fresh relationship-building with Mr O’Brien. ‘The way the polls are going, maybe not,’ he said. Mr Peters is a mainstay of Kiwi politics, first elected to parliament in 1979 and founding the populist New Zealand First party in 1993. He practises the leadership consistency he wishes to see across the Tasman, having led his party for the past 33 years.
