OneNews has reported that Foreign Minister Winston Peters is “celebrating” the replacement of the former Speaker of the House, Trevor Mallard, as Ambassador to Ireland.
It is fair to suppose Peters has truncated Mallard’s term as Ambassador.
The grounds for stating that this is a matter for celebration by Peters are unclear.
There was no hint of celebration in the remarkably sparse official press statement which announced the appointment of a new ambassador to Ireland:
When they got the chance to invite Peters to elaborate, he talked about the carnival being over for Mallard.
But did this amount to a celebratory remark?
The OneNews report said Peters had named Angela Hassan-Sharp for the Irish job in a statement about 1pm today.
Asked about Mallard, he said “you know that famous song from the Seekers? Carnival’s over”.
He said Mallard was “coming home and he’s coming home early”.
Asked if he had a reason to bring Mallard home, he said “yes, I do”.
“It’s a circus where, instead of looking at the national interest, you’ve got people like Jacinda Ardern appointing politicians to important jobs, and that should not be happening.
“Their performance will never be up to scratch for goodness sake. You people surely understand that you train people, you give them decades of experience to get into important jobs and, all of a sudden, you put a politician there with no training at all.”
The press statement which announced the appointment of Angela Hassan-Sharp tells the public nothing about her accomplishments.
It is similarly sparse with information about the other two appointees.
This contrasts with the statement which announced Mallard’s appointment three years ago.
That was released in the name of Nanaia Mahuta, who then was Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Whatever happened to her?
The media will be reminding us that the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Phil Goff, was sacked by Peters for comments he made about US President Donald Trump.
Goff and Mallard were both Labour Party ministers during their political careers.
Whether Mallard has said anything undiplomatic or untoward about anyone is not known, although he might not be talking too fondly about Peters since learning of Angela Hassan-Sharp’s appointment.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
There was no hint of celebration in the remarkably sparse official press statement which announced the appointment of a new ambassador to Ireland:
19 August 2025
New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments:
The media were fascinated by the third of those appointments, obviously because of their awareness that Trevor Mallard is our Ambassador to Ireland.
- Joanna Kempkers, Ambassador to France;
- Greg Andrews, High Commissioner to Fiji; and
- Angela Hassan-Sharp, Ambassador to Ireland.
When they got the chance to invite Peters to elaborate, he talked about the carnival being over for Mallard.
But did this amount to a celebratory remark?
The OneNews report said Peters had named Angela Hassan-Sharp for the Irish job in a statement about 1pm today.
Asked about Mallard, he said “you know that famous song from the Seekers? Carnival’s over”.
He said Mallard was “coming home and he’s coming home early”.
Asked if he had a reason to bring Mallard home, he said “yes, I do”.
“It’s a circus where, instead of looking at the national interest, you’ve got people like Jacinda Ardern appointing politicians to important jobs, and that should not be happening.
“Their performance will never be up to scratch for goodness sake. You people surely understand that you train people, you give them decades of experience to get into important jobs and, all of a sudden, you put a politician there with no training at all.”
The press statement which announced the appointment of Angela Hassan-Sharp tells the public nothing about her accomplishments.
It is similarly sparse with information about the other two appointees.
This contrasts with the statement which announced Mallard’s appointment three years ago.
That was released in the name of Nanaia Mahuta, who then was Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Whatever happened to her?
23 August 2022
Ambassador to Ireland appointed
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of outgoing Speaker of Parliament Trevor Mallard as the next Ambassador to Ireland.
“The people of Aotearoa New Zealand and Ireland enjoy warm and close links. Our two countries have extensive family, cultural, historical and, of course, sporting connections that ground our strong friendship,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
“Our shared values and enduring commitment to the rules-based international system, particularly at this challenging time, make Aotearoa New Zealand and Ireland natural partners on the world stage.
“As New Zealand’s second resident Ambassador to Ireland since the opening of our Embassy in Dublin in 2018, I am delighted that the strong relationship between our countries will continue to be in excellent hands with the appointment of Mr Mallard,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
Mr Mallard has been Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives since 2017 and a Member of Parliament for 35 years.
Over that time he has held 13 Ministerial portfolios, including Education, Labour, State Services and the Rugby World Cup. He announced his resignation from Parliament in June and will be the third of the five most recent Speakers to represent New Zealand overseas in a diplomatic posting.
“Ireland has made a significant contribution to the fabric of Aotearoa New Zealand’s society, with one in six New Zealanders able to claim Irish heritage,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
“Our countries share a great deal in common as principled, independently-minded and outward looking nations. We co-operate on issues such as climate change, disarmament, and peace & security issues.
“We also look forward to our strong agricultural, trade and economic links deepening further in the coming years, including in light of the recent conclusion of the New Zealand – European Union Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Ireland’s continuing support for the FTA has been appreciated,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
Mr Mallard is expected to take up his role in January 2023.
The media will be reminding us that the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Phil Goff, was sacked by Peters for comments he made about US President Donald Trump.
Goff and Mallard were both Labour Party ministers during their political careers.
Whether Mallard has said anything undiplomatic or untoward about anyone is not known, although he might not be talking too fondly about Peters since learning of Angela Hassan-Sharp’s appointment.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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