New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon walked back Trade Minister Todd McClay’s unsupported accusation that the Green Party had joined foreign actors to attack the country over a climate-change complaint lodged with the European Commission. The Greens denied involvement, and RNZ reported that McClay offered no evidence for his claim.
What was the claim about the Greens?
McClay accused the Greens of “joining with foreign actors to attack New Zealand” in connection with a climate-change complaint lodged with the European Commission. The party denied involvement. RNZ’s 2 October 2026 report said McClay provided no evidence for the allegation. RNZ’s report described the episode as a walk-back by Luxon.
What did Luxon say?
When reporters asked for evidence, Luxon said it was up to them to determine whether Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was involved: “That’d be up for you guys to ascertain whether she has or hasn’t.” He then suggested the media had raised the possibility first. After reporters told him the Greens had not been involved, he replied: “Great, great. That’s good to hear. That’s good that you’ve bottomed that out. Well done, well done… Good job.” 1News carried RNZ’s account of the exchange.
Why was it described as a walk-back?
Luxon initially left open whether Swarbrick was involved and asked reporters to establish the facts. Once told the Greens were not involved, he welcomed that clarification. RNZ characterized the response as a walk-back and said Luxon wrongly suggested the media had raised the involvement claim first. The available account does not establish that Luxon used the word “retract.”
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How did the Greens respond?
Swarbrick called McClay’s statement a “bizarre claim” and said he had provided “zero evidence.” She also accused the government of blaming others for the consequences of its climate policy. Those are Swarbrick’s attributed views; they do not establish who lodged the complaint or determine its merits. Scoop carried RNZ’s report quoting her response.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the European Commission complaint?
The complaint was lodged with the European Commission and concerned climate change. Luxon defended New Zealand’s adherence to free-trade obligations, saying the country took them seriously. Former British high commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke told RNZ that the legal action put the “100% Pure” brand at risk. The reporting cited here does not settle the complaint’s legal merits or outcome, or validate every party’s description of it. RNZ’s coverage also quoted Luxon saying, “When any other country gets to 96.3 percent renewable electricity, then you might want to throw some stones at us.” The 96.3 percent figure is Luxon’s quoted claim, not an independently verified statistic here.
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