Six months on, Clark gives Peters an 'A' for effort

Prime Minister Helen Clark says her six-month-old Government has proved its stability in the face of hysterical Opposition attacks.

And she has showered praise on New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, "I think Winston Peters has really enjoyed the job," she said.

"He's put the hours in and made a serious commitment and he's been very successful in his negotiations for the racing industry."

It will be six months on Monday since the Government was formed with the support of New Zealand First and United Future on confidence votes.

"The Opposition formed the view that this was going to be a pushover, and with enough screaming and yelling everything would come to a grinding halt and they would take their rightful places in government," she said at her post-Cabinet press conference.

"That's not how it worked out. We have shown these arrangements are durable. We do work very hard on the relationships which underpin them."

Helen Clark said there had been months of "increasingly hysterical" Opposition attacks, which had not found favour with the public.

"We have a very substantial work programme for this term of government and we're getting on with the business," she said.

"In the last couple of weeks it seems to me the Opposition have moved substantially from angry and desperate mode to rather flat and resigned - which isn't surprising."

Asked about the support she was getting from Mr Peters in Parliament, although NZ First is not in coalition with the Government, Helen Clark said he was taking the opportunity to play a positive role as a minister.

"Mr Peters is working very hard to show that these arrangements provide stable government for New Zealand."

- NZPA