Winston Peters rejects claims his party has diversity requirements

Racing Minister Winston Peters made the announcement on Tuesday. Photo: Samuel Rillstone

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is continuing to reject characterisation of his own party's constitution as having diversity requirements, saying it has no quotas, priorities or targets.

He argues the requirements are rife in the public sector, saying there are all sorts of cases being raised - but that's news to Public Service Minister Judith Collins, who says she is not aware of any such quotas.

New Zealand First has lodged a member's bill that pledges to remove what he says is "woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector".

The Public Service (Repeal of Diversity and Inclusiveness Requirements) Amendment Bill would remove provisions from the Public Service Act Peters and his party voted for in 2020 when in coalition with Labour.

Members' bills are drawn at random from a biscuit tin, so this one could languish for years without being drawn, but Prime Minister Christopher Luxon this week said some of it could be included in a rework of the act being led by Collins.

Peters has been adamant diversity was being preferred over merit for people getting jobs in the public sector.

On Wednesday evening, he was questioned about a clause in New Zealand First's constitution, voted in last year, which said list rankings for the party's candidates in an election should consider things like gender and ethnicity.

It stated that "in ranking the candidates, the List Ranking Committee shall consider: The ability, expertise, and experience of the candidates generally, and of the qualities that a candidate may contribute to the House of Representatives, the need for different genders, social groups, ages, and ethnic groups to be represented."

Peters, asked on Thursday to explain how this was different from diversity requirements in the public sector, was combative.

"We have no quotas, right? We have no priorities. We have no targets. We get a variety of people in because of the geography, their backgrounds, and that's why the party looks like the greatest party on Earth coming into the next election."

However, he was adamant the public service had such quotas.

Collins said she was not aware of any quotas for things like age, ethnicity and gender in the public service.

"I hope not," she said, when asked if they existed. "Look, I'm not going to go down that track... I'm not aware of any. I'd hate to see ageism - I'm very fond of age, it's a good thing. The alternative is really bad."

Collins said the public service did not need quotas, it just needed to hire the right people for the job, and she was sure Peters knew what he was talking about.

Labour's Chris Hipkins had a less favourable view of Peters' approach.

"I think it's completely consistent with Winston Peters' approach to politics, which is to tell you what his values are, and then to say 'if you don't like those I've got some others'," Hipkins said.

"Winston Peters voted in favour of the Public Service Act that he's now railing against. His own constitution, which was adopted only last year, has diversity and inclusion elements within it - so I think this is Winston Peters just trying to scratch an itch.

"He's seen something that Donald Trump's doing, he adores Donald Trump, he wants to be like him so he's just adopting that policy even if it's completely contradictory with things that he was doing just last year."

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