Green MP’s comments stupid: Peters

Isaac Davison

A Green MP’s suggestion that his party could prefer a second election to a LabourNZ First coalition is the “height of stupidity”, NZ First leader Winston Peters says.

Peters yesterday accused the Greens of being arrogant and impractical, but stopped short of ruling them out of any coalition deal.

“We are never going to accept that the Greens care more about this country than I do,” he said.

“My family has been here almost 1000 years. And I resent anyone who thinks that I don’t care about my country’s environmental future.” He made the comments after Green MP Barry Coates said his party would consider forcing another election if Labour formed a coalition with NZ First without the Greens — a statement which earned him a telling-off from the Green leadership.

Speaking to the Herald in Tauranga, Peters said: “I think it’s the height of political stupidity to make that sort of threat.

“Because what they’re saying is, regardless of how far they fall in the polls — and they will, mark my words — they still want to be in a government and in control of everything.”Despite his criticism, Peters refused to rule out working with the Greens in government.

Coates said on Wednesday that a LabourNZ First pairing would be “unacceptable” to the Greens and that his party could force another election to prevent it.

Greens co-leader James Shaw said yesterday that Coates’ comments were “absolutely not” the party’s position. Asked whether Coates had been told to “pull his head in”, Shaw said: “Yes.”