Helen Clark: Peters' remarks to Chinese-born MP are 'inviting a sacking' and threaten coalition

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark told RNZ's Morning Report that Winston Peters telling Chinese-born Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to "go back to your own country" in Parliament on 29 July amounts to "inviting a sacking." Clark said New Zealand First's behaviour is "inviting a breakup of the coalition" and questioned whether Peters can manage the relationship with China, New Zealand's largest trading partner. Xu-Nan came to New Zealand as a child and has lived here 32 years, Clark said. China has lodged an official complaint and its ambassador Wang Xiaolong publicly responded. Peters called critics "pearl clutchers and the communist shills."