NZ First leader Winston Peters says he will block any political appointments to diplomatic roles as an "undeserved golden handshake" – a not-so-veiled dig at Speaker David Carter being lined up for the High Commissioner's role in London.

Behind-the-scenes jostling between National and NZ First may have dashed Speaker David Carter's chances of a plum diplomatic post to London.

Carter has long been thought the frontrunner to replace current High Commissioner to Britain Sir Lockwood Smith when his term ends early next year.

But it is understood NZ First is demanding that if in a position to get National across the line for a fourth term, then it would want Carter hauled back from the London posting should he have already gained it.

KEVIN STENT/FAIRFAX NZ Speaker David Carter is thought to be a frontrunner to be the next High Commissioner to London, but Winston Peters appears to be doing all he can to prevent it.

That would make it difficult for the Government to award him the posting in the first place.



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The manoeuvring appears to have come after a number of recent polls placing NZ First, led by Winston Peters, in a king-maker position if an election were to be held soon.

In a speech to students at Victoria University, Peters announced the party would block any "unsuitable" political appointees and require them to return home if it held the balance of power in government.

Parliament TV NZ First's Winston Peters and Denis O'Rourke are kicked out of the House by the Speaker.

A "mainly white brorocracy" had led to "rundown politicians [being] given reward for in some cases the most dubious of services by sending them offshore – beneficiaries of some undeserved golden handshake".

"Many have represented an insult to foreign affairs, leaving their posts with absolutely nothing to show, but deterioration in our international relationship with that country."

STRAINED RELATIONSHIP

While Peters did not name Carter, NZ First's battles with Parliament's Speaker have been well documented.

In particular, a strained relationship between Peters and Carter can be traced back decades.

Most notably, in 2006, then Foreign Affairs Minister Peters sought to bring a multimillion-dollar court case against Carter for alleged defamatory statements about him, when Carter was chairman of a parliamentary select committee inquiring into the scampi industry.

On Tuesday, Carter booted Peters out of Parliament, on grounds of contempt after Peters suggested Carter was being unfair toward NZ First.

It was becoming a trend; last month, Peters was told to leave twice in two days.

Sources within the diplomatic community said NZ First had delivered the ultimatum, which could put the Government in a difficult position.

Sources close to National had confirmed they had heard rumours of the bargaining, but asked last week, NZ First sources denied hearing of any such negotiations.

'WE DON'T PERSONALISE THESE THINGS'

After the speech, Peters denied his remarks should be seen as an attack on Carter.

"Oh look ,we don't personalise these things, I'm just saying that we're not going to tolerate these sort of disgraceful appointments when they don't merit it."

He was not opposed to all political appointments, saying former Labour prime minister Mike Moore's selection as United States ambassador was a "brilliant idea" but Wallace Rowling's appointment to the same position in 1985 – after the flare-up over NZ's nuclear weapons stance – was wrong.

"Now there's two contrasting examples where people could be merited or the timing would merit things."

CARTER 'NOT A CLAIRVOYANT'

Peters said he did not want to comment on whether Carter was biased against NZ First, but was concerned about how he was dealing with the party during Question Time.

"I'll let the public decide, but when you are challenged with logic and you can't deal with it, big problem when you're meant to be a referee.

"I mean, the idea that you're going to use the power of your office to intimidate a member of Parliament with my experience has got to be a joke.

"I'm not going to be told before I open my mouth what the point of order that he's ruling out is – unless you're clairvoyant, and he's not, how can he possibly rule me out before I've opened my mouth?"

However, he said he was not "waging war" against the Speaker.

"I'm just waging war in favour of balance and first-world parliamentary standards."

'A LOAD OF NONSENSE'

Carter declined to comment on the rumours about NZ First's opposition to his potential London move.

However, Prime Minister John Key said Peters' claims about too many political appointments to diplomatic roles were "a load of nonsense".

"I mean, of the 60-odd high commissions or embassies around the world, we have three or four that have been politically appointed in recent times."

Key said the most recent political appointment, former trade minister Tim Groser, was chosen as United States ambassador because he was an "expert on trade".

"Well we're going through TPP at the moment, the United States trade is the biggest deal, and it follows on from the WTO when we had Mike Moore."

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