David Seymour: NZ First government a 'train wreck' in waiting

Act leader David Seymour has predicted the next government will be a 'train wreck' whichever way NZ First leader Winston Peters goes and he is pleased to be out of it.

Seymour is the only party not involved in coalition talks with Peters and his NZ First team and told Newstalk ZB it was a "bit of a blessing" being ruled out of the next government,

He reprised his line that Peters was "a charismatic crook" who had been voted out of three electorates - Hunua, Tauranga and now Northland - and cast out by three different Prime Ministers.

"This time is going to be a train wreck and I reckon by 2020 people are going to be pretty pleased the Act Party option is available on the ballot paper because we've actually shown we can be a reliable partner in government that gets good things without being too up ourselves."

He was philosophical about not being part of government, saying "I'm not Kim Jong-Un - I can't win every election."

Seymour also told the Herald a term in Opposition or on the crossbenches was timely to allow him to rebuild Act which dropped to its lowest ever election result of 0.5 per cent. He said that did not necessarily spell the end of the party - saying losing was as much a part of democracy as winning and it did not mean no return.

Seymour remains in Parliament as the Epsom MP after National again told its voters to support him in the blue seat.

Seymour said he was not overly concerned that overt endorsement would be withdrawn in 2020, saying he was confident the voters of Epsom recognised by then that he could again be important for National's chances of forming a government as in 2008, 2011 and 2014.

Act first won the seat in 2005 when then leader Rodney Hide persuaded voters of the merits of strategic voting despite National's Richard Worth fighting to retain the seat.

After that election, 'cups of tea' between National leaders and Act leaders became the signal for National voters to keep voting Act - until the controversial recording of a cup of tea between John Key and John Banks in 2011, known as the teapot tapes saga.

After that, Key gave an overt message for National voters to continue to vote for the Act candidates in Epsom rather than the symbolic nod.