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Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith.
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Another Cabinet minister has been caught up in the United Nations letter-writing imbroglio, with new documents showing David Seymour first ran his response past Paul Goldsmith before he sent it.
Seymour, writing as Regulations Minister, fired off a blunt reply to the UN in July that prompted public rebukes from both Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters for bypassing proper processes.
Seymour refused to concede any mistake but agreed to formally withdraw his letter so Peters could issue one on behalf of the full government.
New correspondence, released to RNZ under the Official Information Act, reveals Goldsmith, the Treaty Negotiations Minister, had been looped in early on and appeared comfortable with Seymour’s approach.
On 1 July, two days before the letter went to the UN, one of Seymour’s advisors sent a draft to Goldsmith’s office.
“Attached is the Minister for Regulation’s proposed response… He mentioned that we had agreed to run it past your Minister before we sent it off,” the email read.
“It is a little more direct than what MFAT might draft. Please let me know if your Minister is happy.”
Goldsmith’s office responded the next day, asking for a phone call.
By the morning of 3 July, Seymour’s advisor emailed him: “Goldie is happy for us to send it. He is going to send his own mild MFAT holding letter on behalf of himself and [Māori Development Minister Tama] Potaka.”
David Seymour.
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Seymour replied: “Ok, great.” His letter was sent to the UN that afternoon.
In a statement provided to RNZ on Saturday, Goldsmith said: “When asked, I did not object to [Seymour] sending the letter, but when commenting on UN matters, it is the Foreign Minister’s views that are relevant, not mine.”
A spokesperson for Seymour said he had nothing further to add.
Emails between Seymour’s staff in June canvassed the options for responding to the UN and noted MFAT’s preferred approach was a joint reply from “relevant Ministers” Seymour, Goldsmith and Potaka, in line with previous UN communications in 2024.
Instead, Peters ultimately issued a government-wide letter on 11 August, striking a softer tone and expressing regret for the “breakdown in protocol”.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K Barume, had raised concerns on 12 June about Seymour’s Regulatory Standards Bill, suggesting it failed to recognise Māori traditions or uphold Treaty principles.
Seymour’s reply branded the critique “presumptive, condescending and wholly misplaced” and “an affront to New Zealand’s sovereignty”.
After news of Seymour’s letter broke in July, Luxon told media he agreed with its content but Seymour was wrong to have sent it: “I expect Winston Peters to be the person that engages with the UN.”
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