NZ First leader Winston Peters quashes Brian Tamaki, Destiny Church merger rumours

NZ First leader Winston Peters among protesters during at the Covid-19 convoy protest and occupation at Parliament, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NZ First leader Winston Peters has quashed rumours he is in talks with Brian Tamaki, of Destiny Church.

The rumours were printed in a column in the Listener and republished on the Herald website.

The column has since been taken down.

The first sentence of the column stated: "Brian Tamaki is in merger talks with Winston Peters."

Peters called it a "preposterous lie".

"There have never been any talks between myself and Brian Tamaki and to suggest otherwise is underhanded political dirt."

• The Listener article in question has been removed from nzherald.co.nz.