Peters soldiers on: I shall return
Govt, Nats, Greens slated as NZ First leader eyes 2023
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has shown no intention of retiring and instead insists his party will be back in 2023.
Peters used his speech at the party’s AGM in Auckland yesterday to slam a multitude of parties and policies including Labour, National, the Greens, the use of the word “Aotearoa” instead of “New Zealand” in Government reports, the Auckland cycle bridge and light rail, the vaccine rollout and “Nga¯ti Woke”.
It was his first major appearance since NZ First failed to return to Parliament last year.
Peters accused Labour of bad faith politics last term by “deliberately” suppressing the He Puapua report, for “breathtaking economic illiteracy” in its feebate scheme, and for pushing through infrastructure — such as the $785 million cycle bridge — without doing the proper costings.
“This [ He Puapua] report is a recipe for Ma¯ori separatism. They knew it and that’s why they suppressed it till after the election . . . it was a gesture of ingratitude and bad faith.
“Growing in our country is a cancel culture where anyone who asks legitimate questions is belittled as a colonialist, a racist, a bigot, a chauvinist or, worse still, not new wokage.”
NZ First was part of last term’s Coalition Government, but failed to return to Parliament after only winning 2.6 per cent of the vote last year.
Party members at the conference told the Herald there was too much focus on the negative and the policies where the party had acted as a “handbrake”, and not enough on what it had achieved.
Peters said there was a growing sentiment among the public that the Government needed NZ First.
“How many working-class men and women, regardless of their ethnic background, are going to be able to afford your EV alternative?” he said of the Government’s feebate scheme, which his party blocked last term.
“What will happen to the old EV batteries? Can you see the Greens running now?”
He added; “We were pilloried for being the handbrake, but since the last election hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders are coming to understand why we were essential and now why we are missed.”
He also attacked the media, who some party members called “the enemy” as they entered the conference room yesterday.
Afterwards Shane Jones said he believed Peters would lead the party back to Parliament in 2023. He likened last year’s election result to an All Blacks loss where the coach would point out it was one bad result and to move on.
Josh Van Veen, a member and former researcher for Peters, said he had faith in Peters’ ability to lead the party into the next election.
“There’s this perception that Winston is maybe too old or past it. I don’t think that’s true or very accurate, but that’s the perception they’re up against.
“I think he can and should lead the party in 2023. He is the only viable leader ... If anyone can do it, it’s Winston.”
Asked about Jones or Fletcher Tabuteau as possible leaders, Van Veen said they were competent but “they’re not Winston”.
He said the ongoing court case involving the NZ First Foundation, which rocked the party’s campaign last year, might still play a hand in the party’s fortunes in 2023.
“It’s certainly problematic. It is a kind of an albatross around the neck. And a lot will depend on that ultimately.
“But they can counter it ... It comes back to the vision and the values, and having something positive to offer.”