NZ First leader Winston Peters says Provincial Growth Fund could help Hawke’s Bay cyclone recovery

Winston Peters, leader NZ First, speaking at Napier Sailing Club. Photo / Warren Buckland

Winston Peters entertained a full house at the Napier Sailing Club telling his audience that if the cyclone damage to Hawke’s Bay was not fixed now then it wouldn’t be fixed for decades.

The New Zealand First party leader on Friday emphasised the Provincial Growth Fund was his party’s idea after Prime Minister Chris Hipkins claimed otherwise and suggested it could play a large role in helping Hawke’s Bay recover from Cyclone Gabrielle.

The government created the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) in 2018, allocating $3 billion to Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit to invest in regional economies.

Recent attention has been drawn to the PGF after an audit of the $640 million that was repurposed from the PGF to help regional New Zealand recover from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the government’s poor handling of the money.

Peters told audience members he had been reflecting on the 2011 Canterbury earthquake while visiting Hawke’s Bay.

“Look 12 years on and know that that work has never been properly completed by a long shot,” Peters said.

“Don’t, whatever happens, get caught like that.”

He claimed he was told the government would run out of funds for recovery on October 1.

“If we do not get it fixed up here as a priority then it will not be fixed up and decades will happen and you will not ever get it fixed in the way you should have,” he said.

“As I have seen already it has not been fixed. The roads coming here are unbelievable. I came here from Wairoa.”

He told Hawke’s Bay Today he couldn’t believe what he was told about funding running out, but if he had negotiating power in the next government then the Provincial Growth Fund could play a role in helping the region.

“I couldn’t believe that because it means in this serious crisis, in the middle of an election, they still have not extracted a commitment to go forward,” Peters said.

“I have got a grasp of the problem and I will seriously, not make a promise now, but the Provincial Growth Fund is our idea and we can see a great cause for it in the future going forward.”

He continued to stand by NZ First candidate Robert Ballantyne’s comments on co-governance.

“Robert Ballantyne is saying that co-governance is a disease, it is a virus. And it is.”

Peters also stated that former Labour MP for Napier Stuart Nash should never have been sacked.

Stuart Nash was sacked after a series of scandals, including a conversation in 2021 with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster during which he asked Coster whether police would appeal a court decision.

“I don’t care if you vote National, Labour or anything else. Stuart Nash should never have been sacked for asking the police commissioner, “You are going to appeal aren’t you?”,” Peters said.

“I thought this is darn sad. This guy is asking for a bit of accountability. He wants to know why on earth we are putting up with a woke, liberal judge fighting in favour of the offender. And the victim is totally forgotten. He got sacked for it.”

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz