NZ First leader Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell
NZ First leader Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was firing shots across the bow at both major political parties at his party's annual conference yesterday.
Although keen to relay to his supporters, and the media, that NZ First was campaigning to be a "sound voice for logic and common sense", he couldnot resist taking a jab at both Labour and National.
He lambasted National for not costing the four-lane expressway from Whangārei to Tauranga, saying it was "breathtaking stuff".
And, despite the fact that National has ruled out forming a coalition with NZ First after the election, Peters said the party's new leader, Judith Collins, will be picking up the phone to call him on election night nonetheless.
"You've got to bite the bullet sometimes – if you don't want to do that, then get out of this business."
And Peters was pulling no punches when it came to his coalition partners – Labour – either.
"None of my ministers have been screwing up – none of my ministers have had to be sacked," he told the Nation.
He did, however, hint that the campaign was about the "very economic survival" of this country.
"Every decision we make from here on in will require something called experience – serious experience."
Peters did not attend the afternoon session of the conference yesterday.
He is still recovering after food poisoning – he revealed yesterday he was on sick leave for a week or so after eating some raw meat up north he thought was cooked.
Meanwhile, Peters also made the rare move of detailing conversations he had with the Labour Party during the 2017 coalition talks.
He said during the first meeting of the two parties, NZ First was offered seven positions in Cabinet – the party has nine MPs.
But Peters said he turned down this offer – "Did they think they could buy us off with seven Cabinet posts?"
NZ First ended up with four ministers.
Both Labour and National have been silent on what happened in those talks three years ago, despite being asked many times.
Peters has been reluctant to talk about it in the past as well – but sometimes provides details when asked by media.
Speaking to the Herald on Friday, he said deciding between Labour and National was "an awfully difficult decision".
He said on the one hand, NZ First was talking to a party with "so little political experience", in terms of Labour, while National had been in Government for nine years.
