Peters will become PM - Seymour
David Seymour claims to know which party will form the next government, and who will be at the helm.
The ACT Party leader yesterday released a rundown of the campaign, the election, and the country’s next steps from his perspective.
There were a few strange comments within the more than 1000-word release, including an assertion that Winston Peters would soon be prime minister.
The party that offered the NZ First leader the top job would form the next government, Seymour said.
‘‘The only thing Winston has never had is to be immortalised and that requires being PM.’’
Seymour said people remembered prime ministers but not deputies and foreign ministers.
Labour and National both ruled out giving Peters the roles of prime minister or finance minister during the campaign.
While there is the view that everything is on the table during coalition negotiations, neither of the parties have hinted they would budge on who would lead if they were in government.
However, Seymour claimed Labour’s front bench ‘‘would do anything for a ministerial car’’, and it would trade leader Jacinda Ardern for the Beehive.
‘‘The only thing that holds National together is the belief that they were born to rule,’’ Seymour continued.
When asked how he came to the conclusion that Peters would demand the prime ministership, and that at least one of the major parties would give in to that demand, Seymour said ‘‘it’s just deduction that it makes sense’’.
Seymour said he would neither ‘‘confirm nor deny’’ whether he had sources within Labour or National to back up the unlikely claim the parties would be open to making Peters prime minister.
Seymour said Peters would drop all his bottom lines for the baubles of the ninth floor (where the prime minister’s office is located), but then said the prime minister had little power.
‘‘The prime minister is in charge of the Cabinet Office which just handles the paperwork for the Cabinet and has no power ...,’’ Seymour said.
‘‘The PM chairs Cabinet and the power comes from allocating portfolios. Under a coalition the parties would agree on the portfolios. This would mean the prime minister would really be just the front man for the government.’’
Seymour said that while some prime ministers like Robert Muldoon and Helen Clark had power, others like John Key and David Lange were essentially figureheads.
It is no secret there is no love lost between Peters and Seymour and this press release was another opportunity for the ACT leader to cast doubt on Peters’ plans and motives.
‘‘We intend to continue to oppose Winston’s reckless populism and predict that while Winston may be our enemy we are about to gain many new friends. Every other party is courting Winston so it falls on us to let you know what is really going on.’’