Andrew Dickens: Winston should know better

Winston Peters escaped censure yesterday from the Speaker after his little outburst against a Green MP.

But Mr Peters is still being judged in the court of public opinion.  

Carmel Sepuloni was jumping up and down demanding he resign, or be sacked, or just go away, which is not going to happen.

China complained to MFAT. You've got to hand it to China – they play a subtle ball.  

They never mentioned Winston by name, calling him a certain politician, and then their Ambassador gave this little zinger saying: "Sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it, than anything or anybody else."

All this didn't deter Winston, who doubled down and said he was defending democracy.

Which is fine.

The Green MP was being very interrupty in the House, but you can do that without sounding like an ignorant grumpy old man.

And that's what Winston should be most ashamed of.  

He didn't have a clue about this MP.

It was up there with Paul Henry who asked for a more New Zealand Governor General when the Governor General was born and raised here, and had even been the President of Rugby League.

Both men looked at the colour of the face and made a terrible assumption. There’s a word for that.

And they just should have been better prepped before they opened their big mouth and stuck their foot in it.

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