Peters takes credit for speedy level 1

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says he did a ‘‘war dance’’ to help move New Zealand into level 1 on Monday night.

Peters has said he pressured the Government to move quickly.

However, on Monday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern dismissed any influence from NZ First.

Ardern announced Cabinet’s decision Monday afternoon, telling the country that after 75 days in a Covid-19 alert, the country was ready to move to the most relaxed alert level at 11.59pm.

Ardern said she ‘‘did a little dance’’ when she found out there were no active cases of coronavirus left in New Zealand.

When Peters was asked about ‘‘doing a ‘dance’’, he said: ‘‘I did a war dance to make sure we got to level 1 … we did a war dance to make sure it was not on June 22 or June 15, it was last night.

‘‘I’m delighted we finally made it home because it was costing the economy and there was no good reason to go on,’’ Peters said.

Ardern had also been fending off challenges from other political opponents and calls from business leaders for a swift move.

At the end of last month, Peters broke rank with Labour, telling the press New Zealand should already be at alert level 1.

When Peters was asked how much influence he had in getting the move across the line on Monday, he replied: ‘‘It’s not a matter of thinking, we know. We set out to get a result for the country.’’

He said the proof would come out in the future, in released Cabinet papers.

Ardern had previously said the Government would consider level 2 ‘‘settings’’ on June 8, with a move to level 1 being considered no later than June 22.

She then said things were ‘‘ahead of schedule’’ and there was a possibility the country could move to level 1 late evening on June 10, if the usual 48-hour notice period was given.

A leaked Cabinet paper last week revealed that government officials considered elimination after 28 days of no community transmission – so, by June 15.

When Ardern was asked on Monday why she went early, she said it had ‘‘nothing to do’’ with pressure from NZ First.

It was a ‘‘simple reason’’ she said. Most of the other alert levels required legal enforcement provisions for things such as mass gatherings. Only border restrictions remained at level 1, so there was no reason to leave a time frame, she said.

‘‘That means we were able to move quickly, so we have.’’