Winston is sucking up to the antivaxxers now because he thinks he can trick them into giving him the votes to cross the 5% threshold, but let’s remember Winston was very anti the anti-vaxxers back in 2021 when he called for anyone on the benefit and parole refusing the vaccine to lose their benefit or parole!
The fact the antivaxxers are so desperate for a champion that they are refusing to remember Winnie was only calling for them to lose benefits less than 2 years ago is as insane as NZ First fielding actual candidates who believe there were nano robots in the vaccine!
This is wilful and graceless ignorance.
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Yawn… so far off the mark Martyn.
There are tons … and I mean tons of votes coming Peters way.
Peters is the master at this. Remember when NZFirst was essentially two separate parties. A Maori party that won all five maori seats and an Old White People party that bought another twelve MPs into the House.
But this is not 1996 anymore and if you live by the tweet you can die by the tweet.
We shouldn’t be surprised.
A leaked Australian parliament backgrounder information sheet on New Zealand politicians once described Winston Peters as an “opportunist”.
This apt description perfectly sums up Winston Peters long political career.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2006/07/21/peters-outraged-as-nz-media-dare-to-ask-a-question/
It’s not like people can’t change their position on things but I would say in Winston’s case it’s just more self serving flip flopping
i think its fair to say, he probably realizes that its his last roll of the dice.
The left suddenly have woken up to:
1). Peters’ grudge against the Labour party (and specifically Willie Jackson) mean if he gets in and holds the balance of power he ain’t going with them
2). Sucking votes off Labour left, right and center and this will only accelerate in the next couple of months. Added to the anti vax vote 5% is becoming more of a surety.
3). Eliminates the Left’s only chance (Coalition of Chaos) in the election.
Let’s face it when NZF starts (as they will) tracking > 5% of the vote consistently then the Left’s slight hopes for this election are dashed.
Start praying for Te Reo being caught in a compromising situation with a farm animal team left.
Well as David Cameron proved, it’s quite possible on the right.
It’s the only hope you have got wheely l
Again with the assumptions Frank.
Yes indeed Martyn!
Winston is almost as cynical as the Greens.
They all do it.
Its what they do.
Its called survival.
If Peters recognises the rights of those who think differently from the powers that be, then that’s fine by me. Better than a “two-tier society”. Even better, Mr Peters is going to keep men out of the girls’ lavs.
Opportunistic. Popularist. Call it as you like. Fact is this is what politics has become. Perhaps always has been. Winston is certainly opportunistic and panders to the popular vote, in this instance according to MB, ‘sucking up to the anti-vaxxers’. There’ll be more supporters than these, I suspect. But enough? Times have changed. But we’ll see soon enough. But how different to the Labour Party, the National Party, ACT (not so much the leaders but the party itself) pandering to the popular vote, introducing opportunistic promises? Tunnels, bridges, tax relief in one form or another. Tangibles you might say. But they all want YOUR vote and they go to any lengths to get it, not short of outright deception (and some may say that’s been an option also).
In the end we’re faced with party allegiance, the protest vote (or non-vote), a coin toss, or tempted by the sweet words of willy politicians, often words we want to hear. A mate of mine – a Labour supporter all his voting life and a long time professional in a job where he truly walks the talk – thinks he has the answer: he’s been through the policies of all parties online to get a feel of what they’re about, and he’s been to hear all the leaders speak. And guess what? Winston’s high on the list. On the day? Well, that’s another puzzle.
The path of the two larger parties is towards the Globalisation of NZ and we will be gobbled up and become “serfs” to the corporate towers (akin to feudal castles ) of the world. The opportunity to be self employed is vanishing, just look at what lines the business/shopping streets of your cities and towns and compare them to what they were 30 yrs ago, to see what I mean. NZ First for some will be the “Protest” vote this time.
Peters needs to retire he has had his time.
Peters gave us the Ardern government so that should rule him out of getting back .
What I don’t understand is why people vote for Winston Peters in the first place. Because IMO a vote for Peters is a vote for the unknown! NZF as it stands at present, is unlikely to be the main governing party in any coalition. That will never happen until Peters is gone. It’s a pity other NZF members don’t take the bull by the horns and remove him as leader, installing a younger, fresh new leadership, which is what the party badly needs!
As far as I’m concerned Winston Peters is a devious, power hungry old scrote, playing the power game for him and him alone, rising out of the ground every three years in an attempt to look relevant!
Winston is NZF. No Winston no NZF.
Your welcome to a view but interested to know how you vote?
He has my vote because he knows what is required to grow the economy. The rest play at it and talk. I am sick of the dithering of the major parties over past 30 years and the others are just not there.
We have slipped parity with Australia over 30% and folk are leaving in droves.
For my part Mary I have always voted for the party whose stated priorities most closely align with my own at the time. irrespective of the likelihood of that party being in a position to implement those policies. It has always seemed like the most honest way to vote, and it gives some impetus to the issues whoever is in a position to act.
So it might just be that Winston chases the fashion of the day but he is often calling the most important shots at any time. Following the fashion when it is dictated by a majority of public opinion might be dismissed as ” popularism” but that should be how a democracy works.
Incidentally I have only voted for NZ first once , and national ,labour , green or act never though I must have voted 18 times by my calculation.
Cheers D J S
Yep and it will never not be funny seeing him rage about things he signed off and defended as pm from the gun laws to the covid response on as deputy PM.
The second he gets his 5% he’ll ignore the antivaxers like every other group he’s ever pandered to, the second he’s in parliament they will be invisible.
He doesn’t care if 95% of the country see through his bullshit, as long as 5% of the country believe him he’s got a job for three years and can ignore that 5% for 36 months.
The party vote appears Winston’s’ best chance not the repeat of his win in the Northland byelection of 2015. I may be mistaken. Maybe Shane Jones will win that. Under 5% on the party vote, well, that’s curtains. Just over 5% and he’s back and will bring a few more in on his coat tails but, probably not enough to make a difference in any coalition. A grumpy back bencher? Except, that won’t be his imagined future. But a repeat of 2017 where circumstances saw NZF hold the balance of power, despite Winston losing his Northland seat? With no single party able to form a government alone, NZF’s 7.5% was enough for Winston to be the kingmaker. His legacy? History is the judge. History repeats? Or a new set of dynamics at play?
Anyway, a bit of water to go under the bridge yet.
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