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October 27, 2023
NZ First leader Winston Peters stands by his tweet, after call to apologise
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On October 27, 2023
Download AudioNew Zealand First Leader Winston Peters sticks to his tweet alleging the Prime Minister’s office was warned before the attack.
On March 15, the day after the attack, TV footage captured former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealing that her office received an email from terrorist Brenton Tarrant, leading to staff notifying police roughly as the attack commenced.
Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni says Mr Peters must apologise for the tweet, while Muslim leaders have accused the NZ First leader of “political posturing” and spreading misinformation.
Mr Peters says he is trying to tell mainstream media PM’s office would have been all hands on deck, but the transcript suggests caller wasn’t taking the threat seriously
“The Prime Minister’s got 68 staff there. Now that’s a lot of people. And when you look at it, and the enquirer will find this out, but what was done with that information? They knew, for example, the mosques. None of them were warned. You know, you’ve got people making all sorts of statements and being critical and saying that what I’m saying is wrong. But my point to them is, could you please explain to me why they weren’t warned in the first place when every action should have been taken? That’s why this inquiry is taking place,” he says.
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