Winston Peters says saying no to nuclear ships came with a cost

Winston Peters says New Zealand paid a price for its nuclear-free policy.

It was his last speech as Foreign Minister. He gave it at Parliament to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. It was reported on 21 September 2026. He said he had done foreign policy in uncertainty's shadow since starting the job in 2023. He kept coming back to that phrase, RNZ reported.

His main point was about an independent foreign policy. Peters said it cannot face one way only. It has to face many ways. It is like a good neighbour who talks to everyone on the street, not just one house. Critics, he said, only call New Zealand independent when it says no to America. He said New Zealand should not always shout its criticism in public, especially at the United States.

He gave past and recent examples. Peters pointed to the anti-nuclear policy and the 2003 decision not to join the Iraq war as times New Zealand said no to the Americans. He pointed to New Zealand's decision on Palestinian statehood recognition as a recent time it differed from some of its closest partners.

He also gave numbers for his work. Peters said he made 44 trips overseas and spent 248 days out of the country. He said he held 279 meetings with other foreign ministers.

He said that heavy travel shows a funding problem. Peters said any future foreign minister would have to travel a lot to make up for years of low spending on New Zealand's embassies and diplomatic network. He also said the United Nations struggles to respond to crises because misuse of the Security Council veto lets big powers block action.

The speech follows an earlier Institute talk. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand asked senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials to look at foreign policy challenges after the pandemic, according to a Beehive transcript of a 2024 annual lecture. That lecture period covered Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden joining NATO, and Hamas carrying out terrorist attacks on 7 October. It also covered New Zealand representatives meeting Ukrainian refugees during a visit to Warsaw, and attending the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting with one-on-one meetings in Warsaw, Brussels and Stockholm.

The broader context here is how independence works in real life, not just as an idea. Peters is saying independence is not only about public rows. It is about a mix of agreement and disagreement with different countries. That matters for officials because it shapes what they are asked to do and what risks they take.

Looking at what this means for the next minister, the money warning will hit first. If there are too few embassies and staff, the minister must travel to be seen. That affects workload in Wellington and where staff are sent. When the Security Council cannot act, small countries like New Zealand must do more through joint statements and other steps. That all takes time and people.

For the Press Gallery and for select committees, where small groups of MPs check the Government's work, the numbers set the starting point. Trips, days away and meetings are now on the record. Debate about the next minister's travel and about funding for diplomats will be judged against them.