Luxon: 'I've just done a deal'. Winston Peters’ X account: Make that 'We...'
2025-10-29 · lightly-fucked
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ official X account briefly reshared Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s post about a trade agreement with Southeast Asian nations, adding the word “We…” before deleting it. Both Peters’ and Luxon’s offices later declined to comment on the incident.
New Zealand’s foreign policy took a quick detour through the petty aisle this week, when Winston Peters’ official X account briefly corrected the Prime Minister like a grumpy group-project partner. Christopher Luxon had just posted a proud selfie with Southeast Asian leaders, declaring “I’ve just done a deal,” and somewhere in Wellington a faint voice muttered, “We…” before the post vanished faster than coalition unity after a press conference. When questioned, Peters’ team said they were “unaware,” which is political for please stop asking, while MFAT helpfully clarified, “We are the ministry, not the minister”—a phrase that sounds less like a statement and more like an emotional boundary. Luxon’s office, meanwhile, responded with the timeless statesmanlike phrase “no comment,” proving that silence really is the last functioning arm of government. In short: one man claimed credit for the trade deal, another subtweeted him with grammar, and the rest of us got a live-action episode of Diplomatic Housewives of Wellington.
What’s fucked
It’s politically awkward. The Foreign Minister appeared to publicly correct the Prime Minister’s phrasing on a major diplomatic announcement, implying the trade success was a joint effort, not Luxon’s alone. Deleting the post suggests someone recognised it as undermining cabinet unity or embarrassing in the context of coalition discipline.
What might unfuck
Joint messaging: issue a follow-up post or statement framing the trade outcome as a coordinated government achievement rather than Luxon’s personal deal. Internal discipline: tighten approval protocols for ministerial social-media use to prevent future contradictions. External optics: have Peters publicly echo Luxon’s framing at the next media opportunity, showing unity without acknowledging the slip.
Odds of unfucking
1% this year