Winston Peters has criticised controversial Australian Senator Fraser Anning following his comments in the wake of the Christchurch terror attacks.
Anning gained notoriety in New Zealand after the attacks for his widely-panned comments, where he blamed Aotearoa's immigration scheme for the massacre.
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"The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration programme which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place," Anning said at the time.
"While Muslims may have been the victims today, usually they are the perpetrators."
Speaking to Sky News Australia on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Peters slammed the senator.
"I could call him a four-flushing, jingoistic moron, but you already know that in Australia... he is a national, absolute, democratic abberation," Peters told Sky News Australia.
Anning's election to the Australian Senate was controversial, as despite only getting 19 votes in the 2016 election, he was the next eligible candidate for party One Nation after one of its senators had to step down.
Peters said the case showed vulnerabilities in the Australian political system that needed to be fixed.
"We all know why he's there. He's there by pure accident. It means you have to clean up your political system to avoid that sort of person making it into politics."
Later on Tuesday, Peters doubled down on calling Anning a moron, insisting "he is one".
"The guy got 19 votes right, and he's in the upper house of Queensland and he's making all sorts of outrageous statements and somebody needs to call him to account. And I have," he told New Zealand media.
Peters thought that most Kiwis would agree with him and said he's not worried about any receiving any criticism back from Australian politicians.
Peters' criticism also comes as the Australian Senate prepares to vote on a motion to censure Anning for his comments.
They were previously condemned on social media and by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who called them a disgrace. He was also egged by a 17-year-old after the attacks, who he subsequently slapped in the face.
Newshub.
