Peters denies Susan Devoy weight claim

Winston Peters says he's aghast at Dame Susan Devoy's claim he once told her to lose weight - and he says the former squash great's memory is failing her.

In a statement released this afternoon the Deputy Prime Minister denied he ever made such "inflammatory remarks" to her.

"I am aghast to read the Human Rights Commissioner's claims. I never told her to 'lose weight', or that she was 'a bit round', or that she should 'walk the length of New Zealand to lose a few kilograms'.

"Dame Susan Devoy's memory is failing her. What I did say, a long time ago prior to her walking the length of New Zealand in 1998 (sic), was meant to be a compliment.

"I said that the then-Susan Devoy's sporting skill was of such a level that she could beat the best in the world... even when she wasn't fit."

In fact, Dame Susan walked the length of New Zealand a decade earlier in 1988 over seven weeks, raising $500,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Mr Peters' denial comes after Dame Susan told a question and answers session at the TP McLean sports journalism awards ceremony in Auckland last night about what Mr Petes, also the leader of New Zealand First, had once said to her.

Her comment reportedly drew gasps from the audience.

Dame Susan said Mr 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.

She appeared visibly angry and left the awards ceremony early after her remarks were made public by a tweet.

A spokesperson for the Race Relations Commissioner declined to elaborate today, saying Dame Susan "prefers to leave her comments as they are".

A person at the event, but who did not want to be named, told the New Zealand Herald that there was an assumption of Chatham House rules (meaning comments are off the record) - though the hosts had not specified that to the audience.

"It's not like she got up there to pick a fight with Winston."

He said that Dame Susan was asked a number of wide-ranging questions about her career as a squash player and her current role, and it was a light-hearted atmosphere in which she had joked that she will soon be out of a job.

Dame Susan was asked about her charity walk, and she had shared the anecdote about Mr Peters' comments.

About 30 minutes after the Q and A, a host told the audience that Dame Susan's phone had not stopped going off since someone had tweeted about her comments - and Dame Susan, who now appeared angry, wished to sarcastically thank whoever it was.

There is a history of bad blood between Dame Susan and Mr Peters.

In 2014, she was harshly critical of him making a joke about "two Wongs don't make a right".

He had made the comment at New Zealand First's campaign launch 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.

Dame Susan 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".