Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
12 March 2013

Movie Argo Misleading Peters Tells Parliament

The Hollywood movie Argo was misleading and belittled the New Zealand diplomats in Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979, Rt Hon Winston Peters told Parliament today.

Mr Peters put forward a motion in Parliament recording “with gratitude” the efforts of former diplomats Chris Beeby and Richard Sewell.

The movie claimed the Kiwis turned away former American hostages when in fact they had helped in a number of ways.

“Hollywood has shamed the memory of courageous New Zealanders and even the movie director Ben Affleck has acknowledged the deliberate error – but of course has done nothing to correct it.”

Mr Peters, a former foreign minister, says it gives him no pleasure to raise the issue but says he was forced to because the Prime Minister and his Foreign Affairs Minister were too scared to front up to Hollywood.

“We acted on behalf of all New Zealanders who felt insulted and demeaned by the movie which is telling millions of people throughout the world that the Kiwis were cowards and did not help their allies when they were in trouble.”

“The Prime Minister should have called the US ambassador in for a ‘clip over the ear’ and Hollywood should have been sent a strong protest message,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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