Foreign Minister Winston Peters has named Chris Seed as New Zealand’s Acting High Commissioner to London, in the wake of Phil Goff’s removal after remarks he made about Donald Trump.
Seed, who previously served as the New Zealand High Commissioner to Canberra and Port Moresby, will travel to London next week.
“Mr Seed is one of New Zealand’s most senior and accomplished diplomats,” Peters said.
Peters sacked Goff after he made comments about Trump in a question he posed at a live-streamed Q&A event with Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, last Tuesday.
He asked the speaker: “I was re-reading Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons in 1938 after the Munich Agreement, and he turned to Chamberlain, he said, ‘You had the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, yet you will have war.’
“President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”
Goff made the comments which led Foreign Minister Winston Peters to declare his position “untenable” at a Chatham House event. (Source: Chatham House/YouTube) (Source: Supplied)
At the time Peters called Goff’s comments “seriously regrettable”.
“When you are in that position — you represent the Government and the policies of the day. You’re not able to free-think. You are the face of New Zealand,” Peters said.
Today, Peters said the decision to remove Goff from London was a “very difficult one”.
“Mr Goff has contributed significantly to the interests of our country over a long period of time,” he said.
“As a senior Minister with a range of domestic and internationally focused portfolios, Mayor of Auckland, and then as a diplomat, Mr Goff has dedicated his professional life to serving the New Zealand people. We continue to hold him in high esteem, and we wish him well.”
Goff is scheduled to leave London this weekend.
The process of finding a new High Commissioner will continue, with an announcement to be made in “due course” once approval has been received from the UK Government.
