Peters to Bridges: You looking for trouble?

Tensions between Winston Peters and Simon Bridges have boiled over at Waitangi, with Peters making an unscheduled speech, accusing Bridges of ‘‘politicising’’ the event.

Party leaders gathered at Waitangi’s upper marae yesterday for a powhiri ahead of Waitangi Day tomorrow.

Bridges used his speech at Waitangi to attack Labour’s ‘‘year of delivery’’.

He said it compared unfavourably with National’s delivery for Ma¯ ori.

Shane Jones was scheduled to speak on behalf of NZ First, but yielded to Peters, who lashed out.

‘‘You looking for trouble, you’ve come to the right place,’’ Peters said.

‘‘It was not my intention to speak here but after what I’ve heard and the politicisation of this event I’m seriously concerned about the next eight months,’’ he said.

He launched into an attack on National’s roading policy, parts of which had recently been adopted by the Government.

‘‘The plan you were talking about – it was going to take 68 years to reach Whanga¯ rei – do you fancy your chances of being able to live to see it?’’ Peters said, before claiming he’d deliver the road faster.

‘‘The group that I’m a member of, at this point in time, is slow on the lip and fast on the hip,’’ he said.

Tensions were high from the start of the day. As politicians were being welcomed onto the marae, Peters nudged Green party co-leader James Shaw so he did not have to stand next to Bridges. Bridges on Sunday ruled NZ First out of any post-election coalition negotiations.