Winston Peters has refused to apologise for telling Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to "go back to where you've come from" during a parliamentary exchange last week, despite the prime minister and others describing the comments as racist (RNZ).

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon raised the matter with Peters in a private meeting on Monday, after earlier condemning the remarks. Luxon refused to reveal any details about the exchange. Peters also declined to say what was discussed, telling reporters: "We had a meeting with the prime minister. It's private and that's the end of it" (RNZ).

The clash began on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, during a parliamentary debate. According to the official transcript, known as Hansard, Xu-Nan interrupted Peters' speech by asking: "Are you vaccinated?" Peters replied: "I'm not making it up, sunshine. I noticed you came here five minutes ago" (Hansard). The transcript notes that Xu-Nan shouted the question during Peters' remarks.

Peters doubled down, arguing his conduct was justified given the heckling. He said he would not apologise on behalf of victims of what he described as a cover-up relating to the Covid inquiry. Asked whether he had embarrassed New Zealand with his behaviour, Peters ended questions and walked into the debating chamber (RNZ).

National deputy leader Nicola Willis said she was disappointed Peters would not apologise. "Ultimately it is a matter for Winston Peters to be accountable for his words in Parliament," she said. Willis said the foreign minister had fallen short of the standards expected of MPs, questioning the validity of someone's right to speak based on their country of birth (RNZ).

Green co-leader Marama Davidson said her party had written to Speaker Gerry Brownlee requesting that he require Peters to formally withdraw his comment and apologise. She said the racism directed at Xu-Nan was unacceptable and had further consequences for the safety of migrant communities across Aotearoa. Davidson also said the Greens would not enter any governing arrangement with New Zealand First (RNZ).

The fallout has extended beyond Parliament. The Chinese embassy in Wellington issued a statement saying it had "lodged solemn representations with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs" over Peters' comments to Xu-Nan (The Spinoff). Beijing protested after Peters insulted the Chinese-born MP, and Peters refused to back down (New York Times).

Luxon's refusal to disclose what was said in his meeting with Peters leaves unclear whether any consequence was conveyed or considered. The coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First limits the prime minister's options; unlike a backbench MP, Peters is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Willis's decision to frame the matter as one of personal accountability for Peters, rather than one requiring government action, signals the government's preferred approach.

The referral to Brownlee shifts the issue from the government to Parliament itself. The Speaker has standing orders (the rules that govern parliamentary behaviour) at his disposal to address unparliamentary language, but the threshold for compelling a withdrawal and apology, particularly for remarks made in the heat of debate, is a matter of his discretion. Brownlee's response will be watched for what precedent it sets.

Peters' invocation of the Covid inquiry and his refusal to apologise "on behalf of victims" links the exchange to his long-standing political grievances. That framing seeks to recast a remark about Xu-Nan's origins as a defence of speech on pandemic accountability. The degree to which that reframing lands with the public, and with his own caucus base, is something the polls will eventually measure.