Peters is in charge and he’s doing it his way
Winston Peters and the media are oil and water. It’s the NZ First leader’s schtick and he won’t see any particular reason to change that, even once he is the acting prime minister.
Winston Peters may not be in the hot seat as acting prime minister – yet. But the curtain-raiser to the main event offers a glimpse into the future, or at least the next six weeks or so.
With Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sticking close to home waiting to give birth, yesterday Peters ran the weekly post cabinet press conference usually fronted by the prime minister, and brought his own style to the 30-minute Q&A.
There was the typically enigmatic response when Peters was asked how he would find out he was the acting prime minister.
There were ‘‘five variations’’, Peters told reporters cryptically – summoning up images of encrypted messages, secret codes, or classified documents. The truth was more prosaic. ‘‘I knew you would ask that,’’ he sighed, before rattling off the variations. He would learn either from a press secretary, a text, a phone call from Ardern, from his chief of staff, or from Ardern’s chief of staff, Peters explained.
There was further sparring when Peters was asked about some of his promises before the election – like his offer to be first to enter Pike River mine.
‘‘I made that statement a long time ago, a long time before anybody wanted to enter the mine because I do have an experience of mining, working underground, in fact 11 miles underground, so it’s nothing new in terms of danger,’’ he told reporters.
‘‘If that’s your major issue on 18 June, 2018, I’m happy to answer . . . or maybe its because you care about me.’’
There was a suggestion ahead of the press conference that Peters might try to be more like Ardern – more conciliatory in other words. But that was always unlikely.
Peters and the media are oil and water.
It’s the NZ First leader’s schtick and he won’t see any particular reason to change that, even once he is the acting prime minister.
Like US President Donald Trump, he has a core of supporters who have always cheered him on in his war with the media.
But Peters was clearly also mindful that yesterday’s press conference was a test run for the main event, when he steps into Ardern’s shoes as acting prime minister once she arrives at Auckland Hospital to give birth.
The Peters who arrived at the microphone and fronted the camera’s gave a sober assessment of the Government’s position on the looming industrial action by nurses after they rejected the latest pay offer.
That’s the Peters voters will want to see more of over the coming weeks as he becomes the face and voice of this Government.