Latest news with #WinstonPeters'
The Spinoff
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
Winston Peters finds his sweet spot as NZ First enjoys polling surge
The party has leapfrogged the Greens for the first time in years, buoyed by a weakened opposition and a newfound sense of stability in government, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. NZ First surges ahead New Zealand First's latest poll result marks a milestone moment in the party's unpredictable history. Yesterday's Taxpayers' Union–Curia poll has Winston Peters' party at 9.8% – its highest figure in a mainstream poll since August 2017 and the first time it has overtaken the Greens since a single poll in April 2020. It's a sharp jump of over three points from the previous poll in June and puts NZ First firmly in third place, ahead of both the Greens and Act, RNZ reports. For Peters, who just handed the deputy prime ministership to Act's David Seymour, the result is vindication that he still knows how to read the political room. If repeated at an election, NZ First would add four seats to its tally and become a powerbroker once again, showing remarkable resilience in an MMP environment where small coalition partners usually fade. A rare moment of stability For decades, Winston Peters' career has been defined by big swings – in, out, and back again. As Luke Malpass notes in The Post (paywalled), Peters has never clung to government by switching allegiances immediately after a loss; rather, his party has bounced between power and oblivion. What makes this term different is that NZ First isn't fighting for its life. Instead, it has found an unusual patch of stability, consistently polling above the 5% threshold. This resilience comes in part from the struggles of its rivals: the Greens have edged leftwards into what Malpass calls a more 'Trotskyite hue', and Te Pāti Māori's assertive agenda has unsettled some swing voters. Meanwhile, Labour's long road back to credibility – particularly in Auckland – has left gaps for NZ First and Act to fill. The result is a coalition where Peters' party, for once, looks comfortably secure rather than holding on by its fingernails. 'This time, the run-up to the election looks likely to be from a position of stability and relative strength,' writes Malpass. 'Can he finally get two terms in a row?' Freedom to criticise A key reason for NZ First's steady numbers is the unusual freedom minor partners have enjoyed this term. As Dan Brunskill highlights in Peters and Seymour have both had room to air differences and push back on the major party line, something rarely tolerated in past coalitions. The recent spat between Peters and Christopher Luxon over how to frame the 'trade war' with the US is a prime example. While Luxon described the growing US–China tariff standoff in stark terms, Peters publicly scolded him for 'hysterical' rhetoric, arguing for careful 'quiet diplomacy' instead. Far from hurting NZ First, this independent streak has reminded supporters what they like most about the veteran politician. Backed up by savvy social media – including a stream of punchy, conflict-heavy YouTube videos – the party's base sees a leader unafraid to stand up to power, even when he's part of it. Hot-button bills keep NZ First in the spotlight While Peters' personality is still NZ First's strongest weapon, the party's steady stream of headline-grabbing member's bills keeps its brand firmly in the culture war trenches. From proposals to define 'woman' in legislation to restricting DEI language in the public service, these moves play directly to its socially conservative base. Its latest proposal, however – to force retailers to accept cash for transactions up to $500 – broadens that pitch. Ostensibly aimed at protecting the elderly and rural communities, the bill also appeals to those wary of their privacy being eroded in an increasingly digital economy. Another less-noticed recent member's bill would ban any flag but the official New Zealand flag from government buildings – a neat dog-whistle to voters fatigued by what Peters calls 'cultural, woke, or divisive political ideology'. If the current polling holds, these stances could help Peters do what he's never done before: bring NZ First back for a second consecutive term in government.
Scoop
07-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
NZ First Introduces Bill To Protect New Zealanders' Ability To Use Cash
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member's Bill that would protect New Zealanders' ability to use cash. The Bill will provide for the enduring use of cash as a private, accessible, and reliable method of payment. 'People who rely on cash due to barriers to digital banking deserve assurance that cash will be preserved in the increasingly digital world', New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters' says. The ' Cash Transactions Protection Bill ' would mandate vendors in trade to accept cash payments for goods valued up to $500. The Bill acknowledges that cash is a critical tool for vulnerable populations like those in rural communities, the elderly, and low-income earners who may experience barriers to digital banking. It mandates that vendors accept cash payments and have sufficient cash infrastructure to support access to cash and its circulation. 'The Bill ensures that New Zealander's maintain freedom of choice in how they pay, preserving cash as what it should be: an enduring private and reliable option', says Mr Peters. 'By protecting the sanctity of cash transactions, the Bill upholds personal privacy, maintains sovereign control over New Zealand's monetary system, and lessens the risks posed by digital-only payment systems.'
The Spinoff
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
The many complex truths within the ‘censoring' of youth parliament
The biggest story to come out of youth parliament was the supposed censorship of its MPs-in-training. They had no trouble blowing the lid off on that, but is it really so black-and-white? The tri-annual return of youth parliament this week was not without its controversies. 123 youth MPs and 20 youth press gallery members descended on parliament for three days of training and debates, and while many of these teens gave great speeches in the House, the attention has been on what they supposedly haven't been allowed to say. Youth parliament – despite what its name may suggest – is a non-partisan learning experience for young people who want to be politically engaged. And if you talked to these teens, you'd realise many of them already are – they're in advocacy groups, are dedicated posters to certain Reddit forums, already have fully-fledged political leanings they don't want to budge on and also have an MP whispering politicking tricks in their ears. It was a truly divided parliament this week: with one side desperately telling the media they've been censored, and the other desperately telling the media they haven't. As always, when it comes to politics, the truth is more nuanced than just one position. Truth #1: Claims of censorship haven't been totally genuine. It's more accurate to say that the ministry of youth development made suggestions to speeches, which the youth MPs were allowed to accept or deny, and these rules were also in place for the 2022 youth parliament. Yeah, it sounds silly, but this is a non-partisan event and the youth MPs know this, and at the end of the day, everyone still spoke their piece. Truth #2: Youth MPs are not protected by parliamentary privileges – if they defame a minister, they can be taken to court. Truth #3: Those crying wolf about censorship were mostly aligned with Make It 16, Gen-Z Aotearoa and SchoolStrike4Climate. Make It 16 and SchoolStrike4Climate have both described themselves as 'non-partisan', though their values tend to align with left-leaning politics, specifically those you might find within the Green Party kaupapa. Truth #4: Those teens pulled a pretty bloody good PR stunt, especially from a political campaigning group which hasn't yet been able to have much sway on voting age policy, and another which has been largely operating under the radar for the last few years while the government abandons its climate targets. Truth #5: NZ First and Act youth MPs did have a chance to take back the narrative, but they bungled their press conference by letting their progressive peers hijack it. Truth #6: There are plenty of 16-year-olds who would feel intimidated by an authoritative figure – especially a government official – making suggestions about their work. The ministry should have been clearer about its expectations. Truth #7: In a way, some of the progressive party-aligned kids are almost guilty of censorship themselves, having attempted a walkout during a speech from Winston Peters' youth MP, and trying to shut up Karen Chhour's youth MP by raising multiple points of order during his speech. This is where the censorship argument gets tricky, you see – wouldn't the likes of the Free Speech Union and David Seymour argue that that is a form of suppressing speech? Truth #8: There are far more racist and controversial things said on a near-weekly basis in this House than anything these youth MPs have said. Truth #9: Unfortunately in life, you have to listen to opinions you don't want to listen to. Unfortunately as a politician, you do this basically every day, and can't always run away from it. Truth #10: The 'real' politicians also have ministry officials and press secretaries begging them not to say something that will get them, their party or their agency in trouble. Truth #11: There were concerns about censorship among some of the youth press gallery members, too, though the ministry has described the checking-over of these stories as 'moderating' rather than editing. Truth #12: This does lead into an editorial grey area, because while the youth press gallery is supposed to operate under the same expectations as the youth MPs, having a ministry shape the story up to their standard, and then encouraging budding reporters to pitch these stories to independent outlets, is kind-of just like sending out a government press release. Truth #13: But this also teaches you some valuable lessons in journalism: how to recognise spin, how to deal with an editor you don't agree with and what to expect when an entity doesn't want you to reveal the worst of them. Truth #14: And, at the end of the day, you go into journalism to be a reporter, not an activist. One youth gallery reporter held the tino rangatiratanga flag over the bannister, others gave their peers standing ovations – the reality of being in the press gallery is that you are the observer, not the demonstrator. And everyone in that House deserves an equal level of scrutiny. Truth #15: All the drama that has gone down this week only proves that youth parliament has done its job: teaching these kids how to be effective politicians – and in the modern era, this often looks a lot like controlling the media narrative. Truth #16: It also suggests the future of our political landscape looks like more publicity stunts, and less cross-party communication, which is a shame.
NZ Herald
26-06-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Ngātiwai iwi urges Māori pride after Winston Peters' moko comments
RNZ Northland iwi Ngātiwai is encouraging te iwi Māori to take pride in their identity and wear their moko proudly, following Winston Peters' comments calling Rawiri Waititi's mataora 'scribbles'. Peters, who is of Ngātiwai descent, made the remark during a Parliamentary debate
1News
03-06-2025
- Business
- 1News
Poll: NZ First keep rising as National and Labour fall
Both National and Labour have slid in the latest 1News/Verian poll, while New Zealand First have moved to their strongest position in eight years. If an election were to be held today the right bloc of National, ACT and New Zealand First would have 63 seats — enough to form a coalition, while the left bloc of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori would have 58 seats. This is a small change from the last Verian poll in April, where the coalition had 64 seats. Winston Peters' party moves up to 8%, according to the survey of 1002 eligible voters from May 24 to May 28. National has fallen by 2%, down to 34%. That ties with their worst result since they were elected, matching February's result. ADVERTISEMENT The poll was taken just after Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced her second Budget, which included Kiwisaver changes and used savings from stopping pay equity negotiations to help balance the books. Labour is also going backwards with the party dropping by 3% since April, down to 29%. (Source: 1News) This is their worst result since December — the party had been as high as 33% at one stage this year. The biggest risers in the poll are the Greens, who are up by 2% to 12%. New Zealand First is up by 1% to 8%, its highest result since September 2017. ACT has fallen by 1%, down to 8%, and is now level with New Zealand First. ADVERTISEMENT Te Pāti Māori have regained 1% to move back to 4%. They were as high as 7% in December. Few sweet moments for political parties to relish from the latest polling of public opinion. (Source: 1News) Meanwhile, the public's positive perception of the economy is growing. Economic optimism is up by 2% to 41% on the last poll, while economic pessimism has remained steady on 21%. Today's numbers mean National would have 43 seats in Parliament, down 6 on their current allocation, Labour would have 37, up 3. The Greens would have 15 the same number as at present, while ACT would have 10 down by 1. (Source: 1News) New Zealand First would have 10, up 2, and Te Pāti Māori would also have 6, as they do at present. There would be an extra seat in a 121 seat Parliament as a result of an overhang — assuming that Te Pāti Māori held on to their six electorate seats. ADVERTISEMENT 'Elected to do a job' NZ First leader Peters said, despite his party's strong showing: "We've never believed in the polls in this country." Asked why Labour and National had a drop-in support, Peters said: "I know why it is, but I think I should keep it to myself." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said: "There's lots of different polls doing lots of different things. I am focused on delivering for New Zealanders and that means making sure we drive more economic growth into this country." When asked why his popularity hasn't shifted in the polls, he said: "I was elected in 2023 to do a job." He added: "I have three years, I have 12 quarters to get things done for New Zealanders. They'll make that decision at the next election, that's all I care about." Labour leader Chris Hipkins said: 'We expect the polls to bounce around a bit at this point in the electoral cycle. We're focused on making sure we're building our support as we head towards next year's election." Preferred for the top job ADVERTISEMENT In the preferred prime minister stakes, neither Christopher Luxon or Chris Hipkins are proving particularly popular. Luxon is steady on 23%, while Hipkins has fallen by 1% to 19%. Winston Peters is the third preferred option, falling by 1% to 6%. Chlöe Swarbrick moves up slightly by 1% to 5% and David Seymour is also up 1% to 4%. Rounding out the honourable mentions on 1% are former PM Jacinda Ardern, Te Pāti Māori's Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, and two new entrants – Greens Co-Leader Marama Davidson and Housing Minister Chris Bishop. (Source: 1News) The poll comes after Nicola Willis revealed the Government's budget. It included changes such as the investment boost, cuts to Kiwisaver contributions and the tightening of jobseeker for 18- and 19-year-olds who can get assistance from their parents. ADVERTISEMENT But the most significant change was the scrapping of 33 pay equity claims under urgency to save $12.8 billion dollars. The changes resulted in protests outside Parliament and MPs' electorate offices. It also comes after the privileges committee's recommended suspending Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer from Parliament for 21 days and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven days for performing a haka in the House last year. The poll was taken just days before David Seymour took over the Deputy Prime Minister reins from Winston Peters. Party vote National – 34% (down 2% since April) Labour – 29% (down 3%) Green – 12% (up 2%) ADVERTISEMENT ACT – 8% (down 1%) New Zealand First – 8% (up 1%) Te Pāti Māori – 4% (up 1%) The Opportunities Party (TOP) – 1% (down 1%) New Zeal - 1% (up 1%) NZ Outdoor and Freedoms Party – 1% (steady) Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party - 1% - (up 1%) ADVERTISEMENT Don't know / refused to say – 11% (down 1%) Seats in the House National – 43 Labour – 37 Green – 15 ACT – 10 New Zealand First – 10 ADVERTISEMENT Te Pāti Māori – 6 Preferred prime minister Christopher Luxon – 23% (steady) Chris Hipkins – 19% (down 1%) Winston Peters – 6% (down 1%) Chlöe Swarbrick – 5% (up 1%) David Seymour – 4% (up 1%) See the full results and methodology here Between May 24 and May 28 2025, 1002 eligible voters were polled by mobile phone (500) and online, using online panels (502). The maximum sampling error is approximately ±3.1%-points at the 95% confidence level. Party support percentages have been rounded up or down to whole numbers, except those less than 4.5%, which are reported to one decimal place. The data has been weighted to align with Stats NZ population counts for age, gender, region, ethnic identification and education level. The sample for mobile phones is selected by random dialling using probability sampling, and the online sample is collected using an online panel. Undecided voters, non-voters and those who refused to answer are excluded from the data on party support. The results are a snapshot in time of party support, and not a prediction.
