Vintage Winston

Gerry Brownlee: What negotiating stance will New Zealand be taking in relation to the Convention on Biological Diversity with regard to trade in genetic resources, and how does that stance relate to the development of New Zealand's domestic law in that area?

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: That issue is at a putative stage and is in the hands of one of my colleagues, the name of whom the member should know if he is going to be a foreign affairs spokesperson.

Gerry Brownlee: Why does it appear that the Minister is not aware that the briefing to the incoming Minister of Foreign Affairs states specifically on page 49 that officials still require decisions on New Zealand's position in respect of those negotiations, and raises concerns that international negotiations may get ahead of New Zealand's domestic policy; is he unaware because he has not actually read the ministerial briefing papers, or can he answer the question?

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I think I answered the question by saying that this issue was at its putative stages, and, of course, one has to understand what the word "putative" means, and that is where I lost the member - all of which characteristics are in the emails I have regarding the National Party's internal workings.

[...]

Gerry Brownlee: Why does the Minister think this particular [NZ Herald] journalist has it in for him?

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The answer to that question is to be found in 3 years of emails of the National Party's internal workings, where the New Zealand Herald is concerned. [Interruption] Oh, I know what those members are thinking: they are wondering whether I have one telephone book full of those emails, or 10. Well, I have to tell those members that, in all this excitement, I myself clean forgot to count them. But given that this is the most damaging information seen in the Western World, and could blow their political heads clean off, they have to ask themselves whether they feel lucky. Well, do they - punks?

- Hansard, 13 December 2005