The Roots Of His Rage: Can Winston Peters Save NZ First?

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SO, WHAT DOES NZ First do now? The Goddess of History hasn’t just foot-tripped Winston Peters and his party, she’s hurled them bodily into a very deep hole. The Christchurch Mosque Shootings have disabled just about all of the “hot-button” election issues upon which New Zealand’s right-wing populist party has depended since its inception. Robbed of its ability to rouse conservative voters against “Maori Separatism”, the “Asian Invasion”, and “Islamic Extremism”; where does NZ First go? How does a right-wing populist party do populism without right-wing slogans?

To have any chance at all of lifting his party above the 5 percent MMP threshold, Peters is going to have re-examine his motivations for creating NZ First more closely than he ever has before. He must follow the long river of his post-National Party career all the way back to its source in the fraught politics of the early-1990s.

Like Labour before it, National in the early-1990s was in the process of being rendered fit for the neoliberal purposes to which New Zealand’s major political parties were now expected to devote themselves. It was a process which had already split the Labour Party in two. National’s caucus, having won the 1990 General Election on the promise of restoring “the decent society”, was discovering, just as its Labour predecessors had, that promises, like pie-crusts, are made to be broken.

As an old-school conservative politician, it did not take Peters very long to grasp the unrelenting, socially-destructive radicalism of the neoliberal project. The name of the party he was to form following his expulsion from the National Party, NZ First, reflected his determination to resist the calculated unravelling of the nation-state that neoliberalism and its handmaid, globalisation, demanded.

The scandal arising out of a wine-box full of documents suggesting widespread tax evasion involving some of New Zealand’s largest companies served to sharpen the second edge of Peters’ political broadsword.

Neoliberalism required the creation of a very different kind of ruling-class from the one which National had traditionally served. For better or worse, the latter were imbued with a deep love for New Zealand and the British Empire, of which it was a small but important (at least in its own eyes) possession.

The new neoliberal empire which was fast establishing its global dominion, had no use for a ruling-class composed of such sentimental conservatives. Nationalism was both an impediment to globalisation, and an obstacle to the relentless advance of market principles. Patriots, nationalists, anyone who dared to suggest that there might be more to fight for in this world than quarterly profit-growth, were no longer needed – or tolerated.

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By his point-blank refusal to drink the neoliberal Kool-Aid, Peters had become a marked man.

Nowhere was the new neoliberal establishment’s determination to destroy Peters more egregiously on display than in the news media. Editors, producers, broadcasters and journalists – especially those covering politics and business – had all played a vital role in the success of New Zealand’s neoliberal revolution. From the moment Peters set his face against that revolution, these stenographers to neoliberal power considered it their duty to bring him down. That Peters’ combative style and eel-like evasiveness so often defeated their best efforts to destroy him, goes a long way towards explaining why so many media luminaries’ harbour an irrational hatred of the man.

Here, then, are the three essential elements of NZ First’s hold over the imagination of so many New Zealand voters. The realisation that neoliberalism is not the friend of traditional conservative values, but their mortal enemy. The realisation that a ruling-class dedicated to anything other than protecting the wealth which neoliberalism allows it to amass, no longer exists. The realisation that the news media’s role under neoliberalism is not to speak truth to power, but to swear at those who dare denounce its crimes.

These three critical insights into the nature of the society constructed by the neoliberal pod-parties – Labour and National – are the reason why so many New Zealand voters keep circling back to Winston Peters and NZ First.

Paradoxically, all the anti-Maori, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric for which Peters is so notorious, far from enhancing NZ First’s electability, actually diminish its appeal. Which is why, if Peters and his party want to come storming back in 2020, they will make a virtue of necessity and devote all their energy, all their political skills, to reminding New Zealanders of the awful injuries their country has sustained at the hands of neoliberalism; and invite its victims, the voters, to finally have their revenge.

49 COMMENTS

  1. The realisation that the news media’s role under neoliberalism is not to speak truth to power, but to swear at those who dare denounce its crimes.

    THIS IS THE ONE WE ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND!

    at this moment as far as I can see the only Party that recognizes and fights neo-liberalism is NZ First!

    • Yes but how, having been on the front benches for 18months, has NZ First demonstrated this fight against neo-liberalism?
      They have reneged on their objection to TPP.
      The ridiculously high immigration rate has barely changed.

      Winston can not be trusted.

      • For a start , – if it wasn’t for NZ First , – Labour and the Greens would still be in the opposition benches… consider that.

        And as for TTP and out of control immigration , – there are basically three party’s making the decisions here. NZ First does not get to make unilateral decisions. That’s why its called a ‘coalition’.

        Perhaps then we cannot be trusted.

        We are the voters.

        Perhaps we are just too damn gutless, too prone to being shut down , too lazy and too disinterested to really lobby en masse.

  2. I don’t think conservative voters who have believed that “maori separatism”inasmuch as it means separate laws for separate races is a good idea will have changed that view because of Christchurch. Neither do I think that they will change they minds about the “Asian invasion” inasmuch as it is government policy to allow almost unlimited immigration irrespective of where the immigrants come from. That we are particularly attractive to Asian immigrants is incidental. And no one is going to change their minds about “Islamic extremism”. Or any other extremism. ISIS has not suddenly become mainstream muslim policy and is not part of the Christchurch communities belief.
    NZF will still be there in 2020.
    D J S

    • I don’t want to steal the thunder from NZ1st but there’s a lit of witch hunts Wniston can go after. 2020 for Winston will be Savage and every one will learn that he can keep hitting you even if he’s dead.

      • Sam, I’ve noticed that your contributions to this blogsite are basically unreadable. They’re so badly written, that it is almost impossible to grasp the point(s) you are trying to make. It is very annoying, and extremely frustrating.

        In future, please take more care when putting your thoughts down “on paper”. Please go back and review what you’ve written, and make the necessary corrections, before clicking on ‘Post Comment’. Thank you.

      • winstone lied to garner votes, people will not forget nzfirsts betrayal of its core voters and that is reflected in the latest pole, campaigning on transparency in government, and lied right through his campaign, we will never forget winstone, and will vote accordingly along with others you lied to,

        • Well there’s different time frames and different horizons and I’d call electioneering tactical decisions and the term of a government strategic decisions. If we do see some softening in the economy it will be more prone against minor parties than major ones and you’ve basically got a much more expensive campaign to run just on matrix. A decent party machine can just absorb that better. NZFirst has been a great performer and Winston of course has no equal but if there’s any softening in the economy on his watch then they’ll get hit hard.

          So yeah, not to steal to much thunder from NZFirst but there’s heaps of stuff he can go after to whip the economy into shape and he’s got a very descent history of winning court cases. But NZ Inc and CEOs need to know who’s running the country. Jacinda is running the country but you just need some one who can restore order, make every one sit up a little straighter, concentrate a little harder and fulfil there potential.

          So having a top down approach while looking at the economy and getting defensive on defence, health, education and housing and going on the offensive where the economy needs a bit of structure, where leadership seems to be running out of steam. So basically doing to any CEO what Winston did to Erogan the Stronk or any one else who is talking shit about New Zealand and who is in Deputy Prime Minster of New Zealand’s weight division. Nothing worse than watching some one punch down on some one weaker, that’s what delegating is for.

  3. Winston Peters giving up his xenophobic trump card? Not allowing his Maori body to be used for expressing white racism and bigotry as he has done for years? And yet succeed as the voice of socialist radicals?

    Nice fantastical ideas Chris Trotter. I suggest NZ First should also embalm Winston Peters after his natural demise (like Lenin) and display him in a museum. Long live the revolution.

    Speaking of the radical left, I am very glad that some left wing columnists are covering post-Christchurch shooting with integrity and intellectual honesty. I would like to share to links:

    https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/21/arde-m21.html

    https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/26/mani-m26.html

  4. Fascinating to read this after just having read Matthew Hooton’s latest.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12217262

    Both, from different political points of view, come to basically the same conclusion. NZF’s future lies in abandoning the anti-migrant theme and affirming and promoting NZF’s long standing opposition to neo-liberalism. I would add that NZF can (and has) be a home for those that have been left out of globalisation’s “success” but who are not interested in voting for “woke” progressive ideas.

    Hooton also has a warning for those who want NZF to disappear because of it’s political incorrectness and past statements on Islam and immigration. Be careful what you wish for because someone else far more dangerous may take their place.

    • … ‘ I would add that NZF can (and has) be a home for those that have been left out of globalisation’s “success” but who are not interested in voting for “woke” progressive ideas ‘ …

      I think you hit the nail squarely on the head.

      • “woke” progressive ideas ‘ … is that self flagellation every night about how racist and xenophobic we all are in NZ, looking into our mirror shaped like a cunt and giving away free water to the Chinese corps to bottle in plastic bottles because the are so much better than us?

        Oh that’s right someone told the MP’s to do it against their own principles, Greens campaigned against foreign asset ownership just like someone told Lees-Galloway to give Sroubek citizenship behind bars when Labour campaigned to lower immigration!

        All the parties have broken their promises and as we see from last election with Labour they polled in the 20’s scraped in, did the deal, but seem unable to work out that that could happen to the Natz, aka they come back with a fresh face too. Labour policy keeps screwing up and rubbing broken promises in Kiwi faces…

        Brexit, Trump! When political parties are all equally terrible and untrustworthy, sometimes voters just want to get even.

  5. Winston’s mission to Turkey and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation appears to have been a resounding success.
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/385885/week-in-politics-winston-peters-international-islamic-damage-control-campaign-success
    Combined with the empathy expressed by the Prime Minister for the Muslim community in Christchurch these two events may well have helped NZ avoid further tragedy. To dismiss NZ First followers as blindly anti-immigration and not sharing in this empathy for the victims is kind of shallow. Perhaps your disdain for those who may feel threatened by dramatic demographic changes in this country should be directed at the media who cry crocodile tears over a mass killing on our home soil but were, and still are, completely ok with the military aggression by the USA and NATO that kills many overseas and is ultimately the root cause of today’s refugee crisis and the tragedy in Christchurch..

  6. … ‘ Here, then, are the three essential elements of NZ First’s hold over the imagination of so many New Zealand voters. The realisation that neoliberalism is not the friend of traditional conservative values, but their mortal enemy. The realisation that a ruling-class dedicated to anything other than protecting the wealth which neoliberalism allows it to amass, no longer exists. The realisation that the news media’s role under neoliberalism is not to speak truth to power, but to swear at those who dare denounce its crimes.

    These three critical insights into the nature of the society constructed by the neoliberal pod-parties – Labour and National – are the reason why so many New Zealand voters keep circling back to Winston Peters and NZ First ‘ …

    ——————————

    Bingo , Mr Trotter.

    And NZ First has got the neo liberal party’s between a rock and hard place. Fact is , – they all need NZ First. There’s not going to be a coalition from here on in without NZ First.

    Period.

    And there’s enough older people who are pissed off with neo liberalism that they’re going to keep voting NZ First , – and guess what – there’s a hell of a lot of young people who are coming of understanding that are now doing the same.

    The latter I was quite surprised at.

    Not everyone who worships at the altar of mammon despite knowing they’ll never stand a chance of becoming one of the elites are that slow and gullible ,… that they’ll never wake up one morning and say ” I’ve been conned!! ”

    All those who wish to see the end of NZ First shouldn’t hold their breaths. All those who wish to see their party of choice in power should be a little circumspect about how they deal with the very party that can make that happen.

    NZ First is not here to do the main neo liberal party’s any favors. Why should they? They’ve been misrepresented , their leader smeared in the press , accused of things that were not and are not true by the same crowd who fear NZ First the most , – the neo liberals.

    Perhaps its the neo liberals with their anti sovereignty , heritage and culture destroying , selling off of SOE ‘s to foreign interests , union busting, cheap labour importing , minimum wage advocating , public service gutting , diminishment of the concept of the nation state ideology that needs to have the microscope firmly put on them…

    What was that Jeremy Corban said about ‘ the many , not the few’ again?… something to do with Tories and their neo liberalism , wasn’t it?

  7. The election is 18 months away…a long time in politics..and NZFirst is something of a cult party…as long as Winston is still running there will be a core vote that will get them there or thereabouts

    • Winston looks rather tired now, not only when caught napping at the leaders of the Islamic World in Turkey a few days ago. He is not going be be active in politics very much longer. And without that NZ First will die.

      • Here’s an adapted version from Gerard Otto’s piece :

        GUEST BLOG: Gerard Otto – Audrey Egg Foo Young « The Daily Blog
        https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/03/28/guest-blog-gerard-otto-audrey-egg-foo-young/

        ——————————-

        And a condensed version I typed concerning Audrey Young which might just as easily apply to you.

        ——————————-

        And MARC could do a better job?

        At short notice travel to not just one , – but TWO potentially charged atmospheres in different parts of the world, then dealing with jet lag , facing fast paced timetables, listening to many , many speakers ,- some of whom’s contents would have been totally irrelevant to this nations scope of interests at that forum , – thus being completely bored to tears by some of them , – having to have constant interpreters ( who , – incidentally , – might have been speaking through the headphones for hours to him by this time ) , in his ear which would strain anybody’s concentration levels over a long and protracted period of time.

        And then hes back here like a rocket.

        Big demands on anyone.

        But I think MARC’S REAL problem is that Winston Peters was so sharp and politically astute enough to see that the best way forward was to cut a highly successful MMP deal with Labour and not National…

        Both of which MARC despises.

    • Well if it is a cult party its done a good job of longevity …

      People seem to have this notion that its all just Peters making unilateral decisions apart from his party caucus… this is a common error. The fact is, the core of NZ Firsts policy’s are decided democratically.Even Peters waits to see the internal decisions made by the party.

      Trying to say otherwise implies he is a dictator. Far from the truth.

      It also detracts from the reality that apart from Peters, – there is a significant and ongoing groundswell of popular opinion that endorses NZ Firsts policy’s. Perhaps that explains the longevity of the party. That’s another thing some people of the neo liberal bent want to seem to conveniently forget… that if that wasn’t the case , – NZ First would have been history 3 decades ago.

      That isn’t the case. NZ First is here to stay ,- with or without Winston Peters.

      And among others,… that is yet another string to the bow in Winston Peters legacy for 45 years of service to the people of New Zealand.

      Something that the neo liberals hate.

      • Not sure if you are being deliberately thick and/or falsely ascribing but the observation that NZFirst is something of a cult party refers to the support of Winston the individual, not how the Party may or may not be organised…in case ypu havnt already noticed the longevity of the party goes hand in hand with Winstons own….any assumption about the party’s future post Winston is pure speculation….and these observations are pro neo-liberalism how exactly?

        I despair

        • Well I’m sure Peters has been the recognized head of NZ First in the public’s eye for may years, as Peter Dunne or Tariana Turia or Jim Anderton was … but are you trying to infer the public are thick?

          Do you not see what you are implying here?

          I think you damn well do yet haven’t the courage to even come out and say it.

          What you are saying is people only vote on personality’s and ‘facial recognition’ and dont give a shit about policy. So perhaps you are the one who is deliberately being ‘ thick’. To suit your obvious anti Peters narrative I would guess.

          So you , … in your infinite false prophetic ability’s foretell that NZ First will die out once Peters retires, – despite that party’s obviously strong policy’s.

          It would be nice if sly people like you , – for once in your partisan tribal lives , – could at least have the courage to own up and say exactly what you mean instead of couching things in a manner that seems to bestow upon your ilk some kind bogus authority and wisdom that the rest of us are somehow not privy to …

          Basically champ , – you don’t like Peters, you HATE his anti neo liberal stance , and you just cant wait to see him retire because YOU and your ilk believe that will garner open slather for you and your mates neo liberal agenda , – and that you see Peters and NZ First as a major roadblock to that objective .

          AND THAT’S THE REAL REASON FOR YOUR POST.

  8. Having observed Peters since he signed up with Jacinda to be in government, he has appeared to me to simply use this term of a ‘coalition government’ to stamp his ‘heritage’ onto NZ’s political history.

    It is the advocate of the regions, and the one offering ‘common sense’, against neoliberal excesses of past years and governments, that seems to be what Winston wants to be reminded of.

    While still at times offering fiery comments and speeches, the Winston of coalition government material has mellowed a lot already. He gives the impression of a seasoned, aged NZ politician who is rather going to prepare to go into retirement, whether before or after the 2020 election, that remains to be seen.

    So I think he is not overly concerned anymore about the issues he used to raise, about his rhetoric of past years, about his own party NZ First.

    Winston must know his days in politics are over, and this sad event in Christchurch has indeed forced him to join the ranks of all other ‘decent’ political leaders and MPs, and condemn an act of terror, which in the past may have been considered to be the worst result of anti immigrant, anti Muslim and anti foreign speeches that Peters used to be known for.

    He will now only have one concern, who will take over the lead of his party, who can take on a kind of heritage, that is unlikely to have enough voters to get back into Parliament.

    Shane Jones may come to mind, but he is as much an asset to some as a liability to others.

    I honestly think that NZ First had its days, is not going to be back in Parliament, and will never live on for much longer. If it does, it may be seeking the traditional alliance with the UK and with fellow Commonwealth trading and strategic partners, and distancing itself from China, and from continental European allies, so to show that the past still matters.

    Winston and NZ First already made so many compromises with Labour, and even the Greens as support party, to be forming this government. It is beyond recognition for many potential voters now. It will not get back into Parliament.

    There is now room for a new right wing, anti establishment party, which may attract those disappointed by the leadership of Bridges in National and with Labour anyway, as they would perhaps rather see less comforting of certain immigrants, although they would offer respect for victims of such a horrible crime as was committed.

    I note on blogs and in my surroundings, a fair few Kiwis are disappointed how Jacinda and others have in their views bent over backwards to support victims of a small community that they struggle to identify with, no matter what happened.

    National will suffer due to that also. There are some who are not happy with the state of affairs in NZ Inc, not at all, certainly many in Auckland. They may not be openly anti immigrant or ‘racist’, but they blame the situation we have on too liberal immigration under various governments that has changed the face of New Zealand.

    Winston does no longer appeal to them, nor his party, they are desperate for a new and more vocal and committed voice. I would not be surprised if One Nation from Australia may send out messengers to here, to assist the establishment of a similar party here.

    ‘This is not us’ and so rings favourably in some ears, some question, who are ‘us’?

      • You may disagree as it pleases, you, that does not change the reality of things, so you can freely continue dreaming and living in Lalaland. NZ is full of people like you, dreamers and not so bright folks.

  9. “Which is why, if Peters and his party want to come storming back in 2020, they will make a virtue of necessity and devote all their energy, all their political skills, to reminding New Zealanders of the awful injuries their country has sustained at the hands of neoliberalism; and invite its victims, the voters, to finally have their revenge.”

    Thats if he actually is honest in fighting neoliberalism. So far its been a mediocre resistance at best

    • Every time I read a eulogy about Jacinda Ardern , I get an uneasy feeling that I am being conned. Before Jacinda took the reins Labour was a neo-liberal Party. It is still that despite all we are told by the media, which can say nice things about her because they feel unthreatened by her ideas. Labour and National want a first-past- the- post system and would vote for each other rather than for Greens or NZF.
      “If Peters and his party want to come storming back in 2020, …” There will be no storming back for NZF. Labour would be quite happy to lose the next election if the outcome was that the Greens and NZF were wiped from the slate. By default you have a first past the post system back again. Where is the evidence? The Greens and NZF are in danger of falling below the line and wasting their votes. Labour could save them right now by reducing that line to 3% and scrapping the coat tall provision. I see no sign of this happening.
      I am expecting treachery at the next election. I believe that Labour will not change the MMP settings but will promise to look at the MMP system after the 2020 election. Lacking any certainty, the voters will drift away leaving the Greens and NZF ever more precarious. Late in the campaign Labour will put out an Ad. blitz saying that the only way to avoid a National victory is to vote Labour. The Green and NZF vote collapses and all those votes go to Labour, which wins the election; the Greens and NZF cease to exist; The MMP becomes effectively a first past the post system.

  10. NZ Firsts future lies in being the protector of regional New Zealand and ( small business )putting all its energies in that direction.
    Winston did make soothing noises about dismantling the neo lib strangle hold but can only do so much as a small party in a coalition.
    Any dismantling would have to be pushed by Labour and i am not seeing any of the policies that Corbyn and Bernie have been articulating being seriously discussed here.

  11. NZF need to get a Succession Plan in place sooner rather than later, otherwise NZF will die. Some good people within the NZF ranks.

  12. NZF is the only party with New Zealander’s interests at heart, Labour and National have both trashed the NZ Economy and the average New Zealander’s hopes and dreams.

    Immigration is destroying the average New Zealander ?

  13. Neoliberalism is a cannabalistic curse on society. Everywhere it goes if destroys, the environment and society… pollution gets worse, poverty increases, inequality increases… now we have the polluting corporations like palm oil companies making deforestation worse and from Panama papers evading taxes becoming so wealthy they are buying up other food companies and soon the most greedy companies and individuals will own more and more world assets!

    Where is the fairness, anti trust etc these days? Companies are getting too large and are controlling too much and then using that might, to force themselves into other areas and take their ruthless tax and social approaches with it. This is taking out more and more local companies.

    Big multinationals need to be forcibly broken up or not allowed to expand! They already have massive advantages by using tax havens to local companies!

    As for Winston, not sure his anti immigration was off target, we just had the first mass murder by a migrant who was only living here a few years…. target other migrants… how many more out there and who will they go for next?

    Certainly many fraudsters and criminals seem to enjoy settling in NZ judging by the news where they normally just get away with it. You have to wonder the thinking behind giving people permanent residency behind jail bars for the NZ public to support them in their criminal ways, no wonder we need more taxes and prisons!

    NZ First have sunk in the polls because they have gone back on their promises, under the coalition there has been TPPA signed, more immigrations that ever, more overseas assets sold, more people at food banks, more criminal activity, more taxes. Our murder rate just doubled overnight and we got our worst mass murder in NZ history….

    The government are gambling (like Hillary that people could not bear Trump) that Jacinda’s popularity will protect people getting poorer and with less ability for social mobility under TPPA. Then extra taxes galore to pay for the unfortunate experiment where people are starting to work out even with a full time job, tax cuts and subsidies, they are poor under neoliberalism!

    Work harder NZ you have a LOT more people to support and now most of the profits are now going out of the country, our 2nd biggest export is profits!

    • SAVENZ your country has long been out of control, what happened in Christchurch does NOT surprise me, it surprises me that ordinary, sleepy hobbit Kiwis thought this would never happen on their soil.

    • Shame we sold most of our State Assets for a pittance after all they were Cash Cows, BNZ got sold for a song by Jim Bolger and National Government ?

  14. In many elections there wouldn’t be hardly a peep out of Winston or NZ First until just before the official campaign started. Then Winston would get cracking and NZ Firsts polling would go from strength to strength. It’s likely the same thing will happen again next election. I predict they will be back in government after the next election but they will need to find a new person to lead after that. Shane Jones would fill that role well IMHO.

    • Will be interesting to see who succeeds Winston, Shane Jones, Ron Marks or Tracey Martin who is probably the hardest working MP in Government at present ?

  15. A lot of New Zealanders both pakeha and maori are prity pissed off with this mass immigration by Labour & National. House prices and rents going through the roof, Asian buyers buying houses and living in Asian while stripping the rents out of NZ ?

  16. Shame we sold most of our State Assets for a pittance after all they were Cash Cows, BNZ got sold for a song by Jim Bolger and National Government ?

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