Mike's Minute: NZ's Palestine call was logical and sensible

If you watched Winston Peters speech in New York late Saturday morning you can see why he did so well last week in the Herald's boardroom feedback. For the bloke who has been the epitome of aggro and grumpiness, in his better moments he is as good a foreign minister as this country has ever had. Politically, the announcement and its build-up got dragged out way longer than it ever needed to and therefore took up too much oxygen at a time when we really should be focusing on vastly more pressing local issues. No matter what we said the eyes of the world were never really on us, despite the hysteria of too many in our media landscape who have little or no grip on perspective. But given we were to say something, what we did say was logical and sensible, unlike what was said by many far larger countries earlier in the week. The United Nation's greatest weakness is its reliance on hot air as opposed to substance, which is why we landed where we did in our declaration. Just saying stuff counts for nothing. It's too easy, which is why too many people do it. By the time Peters had finished the week, he had done some excellent truth bomb work. On climate he is indisputably right - we make a lot of promises we know aren't going to come to pass. On Gaza we are all appalled at the outworkings of hate. But recognising things doesn’t stop that hate, or the war, or have the food flow, or the hostages released. Essentially we should expect more of both Israel and the Palestinians. Don't ask for recognition while you still refuse to release hostages. When there is something a lot more tangible New Zealand is ready to recognise progress. Progress is tangible. Words aren't. The idea that a lot of people saying stuff builds momentum is simply untrue and we have seen that in the past week. A peace, if there is to be one, will be driven by the Americans, who will corral the Israelis to a point of some sort of submission or agreement. Albanese and Starmer and Carney and all the rest of them played true to the usual lightweight, verbal frippery that’s made the U.N famous. We at least told it like it is. It was a good moment for a small country.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.