My Hero

Goff shows Winston courage, while Damien Grant ponders PM Peters.

There goes my hero
Watch him as he goes
There goes my hero
He's ordinary

Songwriters: Nate Mendel / David Eric Grohl / Pat Smear

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Phil Goff: NZ’s shameful silence in the face of Trump’s insults.

That was the title of Q&A’s opening interview in 2026. I thought it might have been filler, given the political vacuum left in the wake of Waitangi, but this was anything but. This was Phil Goff giving Winston Peters, the man who dismissed him for mildly speaking out, both barrels and showing the coalition what it looks like to have a pair.

I’m not going to cover the interview in detail; many of you will have seen it yesterday. If you haven’t, you can find a link at the end of this section. But here are some highlights. Boy, was it good to hear someone say things that many around the world agree with, including, for example, Mark Carney, the PM of Canada.

Goff looked like a weight had been lifted from him, and all those years of having to be cautious in what he said were swept away to leave the long-haired radical he started as. Jack Tame ran through a list of some of the unacceptable things Trump has done, and let him launch.

Phil spoke of the Rule of Law being replaced by the Rule of Power, beginning with Putin and now being pursued by Trump. He said that NZ has failed to speak out and show leadership, even as others have. Goff said we should work with like-minded countries rather than try to ingratiate ourselves with Trump.

Phil compared Trump to a schoolyard bully and said you don’t stop him bullying by trying to appease him and taking cover behind somebody else. “You’ve got to stand up for your principles and what you know to be right, and that’s what we haven’t done.”

Goff was in full flow, speaking passionately about the things Trump is doing that we should oppose. He made me proud - this is the New Zealand I want, speaking up for our principles and calling out gross violations of international standards.

Unfortunately, as Goff pointed out, we have a Foreign Minister who likes to replicate Trump's actions rather than challenge them.

I posted:

Phil Goff speaking the truth so well on Q&A makes Luxon and Peters look like conniving cowards.
I’m sick of being ashamed of our government.

Phil questioned my statement, suggesting “grovelling sycophants” rather than “conniving cowards.”

Zac wrote, “Of course Phil is a true statesman with a wide range of experience in regional, national and international issues.”

John, who knows a bit about it, said, “Phil has stepped into the space of public conscience and truth teller. He is perfect in that role, and in the past, he was never fully appreciated for the insightful man he is.”

The general consensus was that Winston wouldn’t have enjoyed it, but if you haven’t seen it, you can watch the interview here and make up your own mind.

Goff, Peters, and Trump. Image: BeFunky.

Needless to say, neither Peters nor Luxon was invited. What’s the point? They never accept anyway. While Goff is walking the walk, the PM and Foreign Minister’s ongoing unwillingness to talk speaks volumes.

Luxon appeared on Breakfast this morning, presumably on the basis that he was going to be looped up half-volleys and wouldn’t be ducking a bouncer from Jack Tame.

The interviewer asked about the debacle of raw sewage pouring into Wellington Harbour and asked Luxon if it was good enough. To inspire the nation’s confidence, given that our infrastructure is falling apart, the PM said, and I quote:

“Yes, look, um, shub shub, really understand public concern and public frustration about it, it’s really serious, I mean, why has such a critical piece of infrastructure failed in this way? The minister and the mayor have been talking constantly in the last few days, ahh, and I think you’ve heard the mayor come out this morning saying an independent ministerial inquiry would be good to understand why it has actually failed. The mayor and I are due to catch up this afternoon, ahh, and um, this will be one of the topics that we’ll talk about again as well. As to why this has failed, how could this happen? Those are really legitimately good questions, and I fully understand the public’s frustration and concern about it.”

Even by Luxon’s standard, this was a whole bunch of piffle saying nothing, with no plan to rectify the situation or any indication that the government might step up to the plate and help, and it’s not like they’ve been shy about running roughshod over the local council in the past.

At the end of last week, I posted:

Sewerage running into the sea in Wellington, people living with disgusting smells in Christchurch - Three Waters looks pretty good about now.

You’d have to say that a cohesive water management plan would be kind of handy around now, but such are the people the coalition appeals to that they’d rather take a machine gun to their foot than allow Māori a say.

John wrote, “Just what I was thinking. Nat’s, ‘waters done bad’ and on the cheap, is not a success at all.”

Denise said, “Three Waters was the best idea for an ongoing issue that was ignored for decades. If only people had read and understood it, they wouldn’t have been so afraid. The opposition to it was built on hysteria by right-wing supporters. It made no sense whatsoever! Now the councils have been hung out to dry to cover the costs.”

Diana commented, “It would have been a big improvement all round. I hope the people who voted right to stop Three Waters are happy, but I doubt it.”

Eventually, they came to dealing with Trump, and Luxon was asked if Donald Trump should apologise for making a post comparing the Obamas to apes.

Christopher agreed he should, and then told us, for the millionth time, that he had lived in America for eight years, saying, as a result, “that he was well aware what that trope was about”.

Well, me too, it’s been clear from the birther movement onwards. My question to Luxon is: if you understand that trope and that it is so damaging, why do you turn a blind eye to many of your supporters posting the same kind of content here?

A moment ago, we were talking about Three Waters. If you ever want evidence that the kind of behaviour we see from Trump is increasingly replicated here, check out the attacks on Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who was the minister driving Three Waters.

It was lazy, repugnant, and racist, and the people propagating it should’ve been castigated like Trump, but they weren’t. They formed groups like Hobson’s Pledge and the Taxpayers’ Union and marketed the coalition “independently”.

Speaking of the far right, Stuff columnist Damian Grant wrote over the weekend, suggesting that Winston could seize the day and become PM.

To be honest, I normally find Damien Grant’s words about as appealing as a day at the seaside in Wellington right now, but he made a few points which were at least worth considering, if not mocking.

Damian Grant: Winston Peters, and why this is his moment.

If you’re unfamiliar with just how much of an impolite word that I shouldn’t use, Grant is, this is his assessment on where things were back in 2023:

“We were not warriors. We cowered behind Ardern’s frock, terrified of germs.”

Damien continues, “The polls are tight and in a volatile environment, the prospects of Hipkins repeating Sir Keith Holyoake’s achievement in winning back office look good. His greatest obstacle isn’t the Prime Minister. It is Winston Peters.”

Mr Neoliberalism reckons Peters might look to become PM before he finally retires and writes, “He has endured lesser mortals elevated to Premier House. He is serving one now. Can he finally achieve the promise of his early career and reach, perhaps briefly, the Chunuk Bair of his political journey?”

I remember the Maurice Shadbolt play “Once on Chunuk Bair” about a valiant group of Kiwis fighting to take an incredibly dangerous peak, only to inevitably lose it, being performed at my high school. I felt great sadness standing at the New Zealand memorial there, years later, where hundreds of Kiwis had died – it is a very moving pilgrimage.

An interesting choice of battle, a disaster with extraordinarily high casualties, some of which were caused by friendly fire long before that phrase came into usage. To be honest, it sounds more like having David Seymour in power.

Grant says of the polls, “Today, NZ First is a consistent third, and the gap with National is closing. If the momentum holds, he will force himself onto the stage for the leaders’ debate. The humiliation of Christopher Luxon and the evisceration of National will be complete.”

Which sounds good, but I’m not sure we want the devil we know.

At some point, Kiwis have to reject Peters’ brand of cronyism, anti-migrant populism, and anti-wokeness, which might seem like nonsense but is actually damaging to the communities targeted.

Wouldn’t it be good to see both major parties rule him out in the interests of the country? It says much about the relative importance of winning over doing what is right that they won’t.

I get that the handbrake appeals to some, and I hear arguments that a deal with the old devil is better than the other side gaining power, but seriously, when will it end?

Aotearoa’s aspirations cannot continue to be stifled by an angry old man who yearns for days gone by and sucks up to vile dictators who ignore the rules and do whatever they please.

Have a good Monday, folks. I think I got the day right this time.

Ngā mihi,
Nick.

To end today, here’s the Foo Fighters with My Hero: