The Washington faction within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has maintained its strength for more than 40 years, he argues.
Its argument has always been that “when push comes to shove there are only the Americans”.
In the eyes of this faction, the trick is to keep NZ in the front row of whatever game Washington is playing.
Peters may have learned to play the Washington faction’s game better than most foreign ministers, but he didn’t invent it.
In the wake of the Palestine decision, Trotter says it is likely that Peters will push for a gesture of appreciation from the US – “the lowering of that 15% tariff on exports to the original 10 %, perhaps?”
