Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has told a public meeting in Tauranga that Winston Peters is "playing a game" with his comments about immigrants, and later described those comments to reporters as racist, "very offensive and completely inappropriate" — while confirming he still has confidence in Peters as Foreign Minister.

Luxon's remarks came in response to an exchange in Parliament on Wednesday, when Peters told Green MP Lawrence Xu-nan to "go back to your own country" during a general debate speech. Peters also told Xu-nan: "This is called a democracy, unlike what you're used to."

Speaking at the afternoon public meeting in Tauranga, Luxon defended Xu-nan, saying he has "as equal right be in that Parliament and as a first class citizen" as Peters. He framed Peters' rhetoric as attention-seeking, saying Peters "may think he's Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen and Pauline Hanson and Donald Trump."

Luxon argued that New Zealand's immigration settings bear no resemblance to those of the countries whose politics Peters was emulating. He said New Zealand's immigration is focused on building infrastructure and has shifted to high-skill migrants, unlike the United States, England, Germany, and France.

National's campaign chair Simeon Brown went further, calling Peters' comments racist outright. ACT leader David Seymour joined Luxon in describing the remarks as inappropriate and attention-seeking.

The opposition, former Prime Minister Helen Clark, and former National leader Don Brash have all said Peters should be sacked as Foreign Minister. Luxon has not taken that step. When asked by reporters what he would do about Peters, Luxon responded: "Party vote National."

The Tauranga venue carried its own political weight. The electorate has been held by National since 1938, apart from the period from 1993 to 2005, when it was held by Peters himself.

Luxon used the meeting to broaden his attack on Peters' record, telling attendees that Peters opposed the China FTA, opposed the India FTA, and was part of a government that banned oil and gas — which Luxon said caused an electricity crisis in 2024. He also said Peters "put Jacinda Ardern into power and wrecked our economy."

The India FTA, concluded in December 2025, has been a specific point of contention for Peters. He said the agreement "gives too much away, especially on immigration, and does not get enough in return for New Zealanders, including on dairy," according to Reuters.

The core tension Luxon is managing is straightforward. He has called his coalition partner's comments racist and offensive, and declined to remove Peters from the Foreign Affairs portfolio. The gap between the rhetoric and the action is where the opposition and former leaders from both major parties are now applying pressure. Luxon's answer to the question of consequence — "Party vote National" — signals he wants voters, not the Prime Minister's office, to deliver the verdict on Peters.

That is a politically deliberate stance. It keeps the coalition intact, avoids triggering the machinery that would follow a ministerial sacking, and positions National to absorb any voters turned off by Peters' rhetoric. Whether it holds depends on whether the pressure from Clark, Brash, and the opposition builds beyond the news cycle or fades as Parliament moves on to other business.

For those working in the building, the parliamentary exchange itself was not unprecedented in its tone, but the Prime Minister publicly branding a coalition partner's words as racist while retaining that partner in a senior portfolio is a notably sharp public fracture. The Foreign Affairs role adds a particular dimension: Peters represents New Zealand internationally, and his comments about immigrants are now a matter of public record at a time when trade relationships with countries like India are being negotiated and debated.

Luxon's reference to Farage, Le Pen, Hanson, and Trump was also deliberate framing. He is telling voters that Peters is importing a style of politics that does not match New Zealand's immigration reality, and that the comparison Peters seems to be reaching for is one Luxon is willing to hand him — with the clear implication that voters should reject it. Whether that framing lands in Tauranga and beyond will shape how this coalition navigates the remainder of its term.