Peters elusive on alliance

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Photo / New Zealand Herald / Dean Purcell

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has ruled out forming an alliance with the Conservative Party but still will not be drawn on who he might work with after the election.

Mr Peters refused to say that party leader Colin Craig was his rival and they were targeting the same voters during an appearance on TV One's Q+A programme this morning.

Both leaders were on the show talking about their policies and their potential roles as kingmakers on September 20.

"No, you couldn't be further wrong," Mr Peters said, in response to a question about NZ First and the Conservatives being similar, adding he was a "responsible conservative".

Comments he made about Mr Craig made it clear he would not work with him.

However, the Conservative leader - who was speaking before Mr Peters - said he would work with the veteran politician if both their parties had the opportunity of working together in a coalition government.

"I don't have any particular problem with Winston Peters, whether he can work with me is probably the question," he said.

Mr Craig ruled out working with Labour, saying he wanted to form part of a "good sensible stable government going forward, and that's a centre right government".

"Well the reality is, it's not working with Labour, if it's working with the Greens and it's working with Mana internet, then yes we have ruled that out."

Mr Peters again refused to reveal who he would be prepared to work with after the election, saying only he would talk to whichever party won the most votes.

"I don't know what's coming in the next 13 days, and nor do you, and there's a lot more to come in the next 13 days that every voter out there and every politician should be aware of," he said.

"This idea that you've got to sign up with some party, not knowing what's going to come, and something horrendous could come and change your mind, but you're already committed, it's not democratic, it's not sane, it's not sound, and it's not rational and it's not logical."