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Australia’s political scene has caught the attention of its closest ally, New Zealand, with concerns over the frequent leadership changes within the Coalition. New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, humorously suggested that building a relationship with Australia’s new shadow foreign minister might not be worthwhile. Peters, who has served as New Zealand’s top diplomat under Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern, and now Christopher Luxon, expressed his dismay at the ongoing political upheaval in Australia, blaming it on ‘ego’.
During a discussion about his connection with Angus Taylor, the newly appointed Opposition Leader, the 80-year-old Peters took the opportunity to comment on the leadership instability that has plagued Australian politics. Speaking to AAP in Wellington, he remarked, “As an outsider, I’m aghast.” He highlighted the past stability under leaders like Hawke and Howard, noting that those periods of stability were crucial to Australia’s achievements. “The current level of leadership turnover is simply inexcusable,” Peters added, referencing the substantial changes within both the Labor and Liberal parties.
Peters questioned the political parties, asking, “What is going on when personal ego takes precedence over everything else?” Angus Taylor recently became the third leader of the Liberal Party in just a year, following a victory over Sussan Ley. Although Peters criticized both major parties, he acknowledged that the center-left Labor Party has had only two leaders over the past 13 years: Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese.
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.
