NZ First's election campaign bus is back, with the slogan "Back your future". Photo / Jason Walls
NZ First's election campaign bus is back, with the slogan "Back your future". Photo / Jason Walls
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has launched the party's election campaign by highlighting the inexperience of its coalition partner and the Greens.
"We have opposed woke pixie dust," he told party faithful at today's campaign launch and annual conference in Auckland.
"Whilst the rest have been politically correct, we'veset out to correct politics. We've been an accelerator for good ideas and a handbrake for bad ones."
Peters said this election campaign would show how important NZ First was to the country. He took aim at the lack of experience of both Labour and the Greens.
"We are still in 2020 trying to deal with the problems of one of the fastest growing populations in the developed world - because of the unrestrained immigration of past governments."
He said that it was already apparent in 2017 that the scale of immigration posed huge economic distortions and costs.
Cast as coalition 'villain'
Peters said it was tough being the smaller party in a coalition - rarely sharing in the limelight of success "but never failing to be cast as the villain".
He highlighted policies that NZ First had blocked at the Cabinet table.
"How futile does a capital gains tax look right now? And on Auckland light rail and many others, we have stopped bad, uncosted ideas and called them to account," he said.
"New Zealand First shut down Auckland light rail because sunlight and fiscal sense demanded it."
He also took credit for NZ First policies that had got across the line.
For example, the SuperGold card; "backed by a proper website, by over 5000 committed businesses, and by an app – an app that already has more than 130,000 users".
Peters said when NZ First went with Labour in 2017 it "took many by surprise" as Labour had no experience in Government and there had been "nine long years" of neglect under National.
"Sometimes the old ideas are the best ideas," Martin said.
But Peters' announcement is expected to be the highlight of the two-day conference.
Speaking to the Herald on Friday, Peters said his speech would have a "highly persuasive narrative".
He also said he planned to reveal some of the "silly ideas" which he, and his NZ First Ministers, are taking credit for torpedoing at the cabinet table.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Peters took a swipe at both National and Labour. He said the current state of the opposition was "breath taking".
"I've never seen such a cacophony of egos ... in my whole political career."
