Mike Hosking: Why Winston Peters has been a better PM than Jacinda Ardern

COMMENT:

So, it's official. The return of the official Prime Minister is imminent.

Which means we have ourselves this morning the final outing for Winston Peters as caretaker leader.

He has done an exemplary job. In fact I would, just for a moment, argue that he's done a better job than Jacinda Ardern.

Not that, to be fair, it's comparing apples with apples. She's fronted nine months of government, he's fronted six weeks. He's introduced no real policy, he's always had the luxury of being the fill-in. But he's clearly taken it seriously, he has defended his government's position well, and he has toned down his madness.

He hasn't got himself into any major scrapes, with the exception of the deportation business and the flag, both of which he chose to fight on.

He's been agile and light of foot, and dare I suggest pretty pleasant to deal with.

He is, given I have been observing him for over 30 years now, the Winston I always knew he could be.

And for train spotters, it was a similar version you'll remember when we saw him, when he was last in government as Foreign Minister.

For those who don't remember, it was widely accepted he did a very good job, represented us well on the international stage and, like this time, was less clown, more practiced professional.

In other words when it counts, and when you take him out of the enclosed box that is New Zealand First and all its nuttiness, he's actually a fairly impressive act.

Which is why I have always felt he could be a lot better than many perceive him to be.

In surrounding himself with the sort of operation he has, he's remained niche. The line-up of offsiders has been spectacularly inexperienced and disappointing. The possible exceptions these days are Ron Mark, Shane Jones, and maybe Fletcher Tabuteau, although since his promotion to deputy I've literally not heard a word from him.

Winston has not helped himself, whether by personality or desperation to be heard in a crowded field, he's had to come across at times as cantankerous, litigious, confrontational and sometimes even mad.

It would seem odd to think that it's taken to the age of 70 something, and a second proper crack at government, to finally learn the lesson that if you tone yourself down, use the experience you have, use the undoubted brain power you have, and you actually come across as seasoned, insightful, reassuring, and impressive.

And occasionally highly entertaining.

Even more so when I looked at Jacinda Ardern's Facebook post and she was talking to me like I was a baby.

Peters has done an excellent job, better than many would have thought.