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Peters firmly denies comments about Devoy's weight

Author
NZ Herald Staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 1 Dec 2017, 11:09AM
Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy (Getty Images)
Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy (Getty Images)

Peters firmly denies comments about Devoy's weight

Author
NZ Herald Staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 1 Dec 2017, 11:09AM

UPDATE 2.20pm: Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has denied ever telling Dame Susan Devoy she was overweight and should walk the length of New Zealand to lose a few kilos.

Dame Susan is reported to have revealed his comments at the TP McLean sports journalism awards in Auckland on Thursday night, when she made a speech.

At the time Mr Peters is alleged to have made the comments, the Human Rights Commissioner was an international squash star and was preparing for her 1987 charity walk from one end of the country to the other.

Mr Peters told reporters on Friday Dame Susan's memory was failing her.

"I said she was an exceptional sports person because she could win when she wasn't fit against the best in the world," he said.

"It was a long time before the walk, it had nothing to do with that.

"It was meant to be a compliment."

A spokeswoman for Dame Susan said she "prefers to leave the comments as they are".

The former world squash champion used her speech at the TP McLean sports journalism awards ceremony in Auckland last night to rebuke the NZ First leader.

Her speech reportedly drew gasps from the audience.

Devoy said Peters had once said she was a "bit round" – and had told her to walk the length of New Zealand to lose a few kilograms.

Devoy appeared visibly angry and left the awards ceremony early.

There is a history of bad blood between Devoy and Peters.

In 2014 Devoy was harshly critical of Peters making a joke about "two Wongs don't make a right".

The NZ First leader had made the comment at the party's campaign launch yesterday when outlining his intention to crack down on foreign ownership of New Zealand land, saying National's claim that Labour had done it as well was not vindication.

"Just because your predecessor did it too does not make your actions sensible. As they say in Beijing, 'two Wongs don't make a right'," he said.

Devoy said at the time that politicians making fun of an entire race of people wasn't new but it was "disappointing and shameful New Zealand political leaders are still doing it in 2014".

NZ Herald

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