Martim Hames on Winston Peters

I’ve just been reading Martin Hames 1995 book on Winston Peters, Winston First. Although the book is written from a neoconservative perspective in which Hames, rightly or wrongly, dismisses Peters as an irresponsible populist, the book does show the noticeable pro-immigration bias in New Zealand’s media.

Hames argues that from 1984-1990 Winston Peters had a very cosy relationship with the country’s media. Almost all Peter’s numerous corruption allegations were taken seriously by the media even though a number clearly lacked substance. By 1990 Peters was riding high in the opinion polls and looked to be a serious contender for the National Party leadership.

However, after 1993 Peters’ relationship with the press took a nose-dive when he began to criticise immigration policy. National’s radical decision to open up immigration to wealthy East Asians in the early 1990s initially failed to attract much media attention. However, once Peters began making outspoken comments about Asian immigration the media turned the subject into a liberal morality play in which he was cast as an evil “right-wing populist” and “anti-immigrant”.

The use of the term “anti-immigrant” is a clear example of media bias since a more accurate and neutral term for someone wanting to reduce immigration would be a limited immigration supporter. You can only call someone an “anti-immigrant” if they advocate widespread repatriation of immigrants or discriminatory policies against immigrants that have already been allowed in the country.

The national media’s penchant for emotive terms on immigration issues is highlighted by conservative journalist Ian Wishart, who mentions an example of an immigration opinion poll (see here) by a leading New Zealand newspaper that deliberately led interviewees with loaded terms - ignoring one of the key rules in conducting opinion polls – that questions are phrased in neutral terms.

Today Peters can hardly manage to conduct a one-minute interview without losing his temper at the media. Although his skills and patience with the media appear to be waning as he ages, it is likely that at least some of his contempt for the media is due to the mauling he has received over immigration.

After his Orewa speech earlier this year, National leader Don Brash attracted unwarranted media criticism for stating, not unreasonably, that perspective immigrants adhere to “enlightenment values”. On Television One, 'nice but dim' Susan Wood, looked at Brash like he was some sort of war criminal as she demanded that he explain himself for his insolent remark.

As the Australian media tentatively begins to talk about immigration in a less biased manner it will be interesting to see if the New Zealand media will follow their lead.