NZF vs ACT – unfriendly fire that heralds an early election?
David Seymour wrong on cost of ferry replacement project, says Winston Peters
The new Minister of Rail Winston Peters has poured scorn on ACT leader David Seymour’s hopes of privatising the Cook Strait ferry service, and says Seymour was “wrong” about the cost of the new project.
On Wednesday, Seymour said indicative costings were “approximately half the at least $3 billion cost” of Labour’s proposal.
He shared that information despite Minister of Finance Nicola Willis’ caution about disclosing costs.
Asked on Morning Report if the government had a sum in mind, Peters said it would be “stupid” and “imprudent” to name the price.
“I said [on Wednesday] it would be most imprudent, politically and business-wise, stupid, to start saying what you’re going to buy them for, because that’s the bottom line. They’ll start from there and up it will go.”
He rejected Seymour’s statement the new deal would cost a “fraction of the price” of the iRex project, and that private investment remained on the table.
“You’re talking to the minister in charge now, not the one that’s not in charge.”
Pressed by Hipkiss on whether Seymour’s sum was incorrect, he said, “Of course he’s wrong on it.
“He’s wrong on the figures that he’s used, he’s wrong on the question of privatisation and he’s wrong on the question of what it’s going to cost.
The sudden eruption of battle lines between two of Parliament’s most formidable foes is being driven by the Deputy PM swap over deadline, the economic pain 2025 will represent and most importantly, the TVNZ Poll showing almost 50% of NZFirst voters supports Seymour’s Treaty Principles Referendum.
Those groups of eligible voters who were more likely than average (23%) to support the bill were:
ACT Party supporters – 77%
New Zealand First supporters – 48%
Men aged 55+ – 40%
National Party supporters – 30%
…I’ve argued the Left have underestimated David Seymour, that our middle class activists provided him with political ammunition for culture wars we couldn’t win.
Right now however it is the Right who are underestimating him.
His 6 month race stunt is aimed at harvesting the 48% of NZF and 30% of National voters who support his bill.
I’ve been arguing thanks to the decline of journalism, the rise of social media hate algorithms and Seymour’s cunning, ACT can aim to be in double digits at the next election, but all to the cost of the Right.
He will cannibalise National vote and enough NZF vote to sink Winston under 5%.
This is why Winston is suddenly building the argument of rail capable Ferry’s owned by the State. Nationalist Economic Sovereignty has always been a powerful card for Winston and being willing to die in a ditch for the Ferries is the exact issue he could break from the Government ver and call an early election if ACT threatens his 5% viability.
David has a 6 month race stunt campaign to build ACT up enough to sink Winston and become far more powerful.
They both know this.
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It’s been over a year since the election – when do we get a government?
On the other hand, where’s the visible, vocal, credible opposition?
It’ll all blow up in Seymour’s face…
He’s like a new parking attendent whose been given a uniform and a badge…the sense of power goes straight to the head, whereby they suddenly believe that they are omnipotent .
Seymour is a little dweeb having his little moment in the half light…
Mr.8% …whose only there because National and Act corrupted the MMP political system and the billionaires and multimillionaires donated many millions and provided free use of aeroplanes and buse to aid their delusional fantasies.
I have not once seen Seymour make a coherent logical argument about
anything….his hubris is through the roof…talking in riddles does not fool me for one second… nor 92% of the rest of the population.
His constant attention seeking behaviour, phoning up the media to seek out a camera and a microphone every fucking day, just to talk gibberish, is a sure sign of someone who is is unauthentic, highly superficial, and underneath, deeply insecure ….
The best thing the media could, and should do, is just ignore him.
He has no idea what’s coming down the pipleline.
They media enable David.
The media love David Fascist.
And Luxon will still be asleep at the wheel as he has now abdicated all responsability and is giving these two clowns more and more .Why would he even consider handing the ferries over to Winston .He should have grown some balls and sacked Willis and stepped up to the ferry buying himself .Two problems there ,he is too weak to give her the boot and he is a shit negotiator in real life .There is also no depth in national so who would he replace Willis with ?
And Luxon will still be asleep at the wheel as he has now abdicated all responsability and is giving these two clowns more and more .Why would he even consider handing the ferries over to Winston .He should have grown some balls and sacked Willis and stepped up to the ferry buying himself .Two problems there ,he is too weak to give her the boot and he is a shit negotiator in real life .There is also no depth in national so who would he replace Willis with ?
In the end you can’t buff a turd, so ACT is rolling it in glitter. It won’t last and this isn’t Peters’ first rodeo.
Minister of Everything poking his pointy wee nose into everyone else’s business as usual.
Seymour thinks he’s 6 months away from being a dictator and he’s keen to crack on.
Those who can only feel good about themselves if they are punishing people, are falling for his weasel words. Meanwhile the fat, lazy NatDog sleeps, blissfully unaware of the danger.
The sparkling glitter covered anti Maori turd is inpudent and imprudent, and should stick to his waste of time, waste of space, waste of money, Ministry of Regulation, so he can sip chardonays while getting his coiffure poufed and permed.
Sooo very predictable. Winston was always going to turn as Seymour prepares for or steps up for his turn as Dep. PM.
Well written. You’re correct in several respects Martyn:
The rail portfolio is a poisoned chalice for Winston because it’s a black hole that absorbs cash. His support of rail is typical ‘old man thinking’. For various technical reasons this country is possibly the wore case in the world for rail. Seymour knows this and is only too keen to let him run with this ball.
Those of us who support the Treaty Principles bill (i.e. most of the country LOL) don’t see it as inherently racist. If you can point out the racist bit, I’d love to read what you have to say. For sure ACT has painted National into a corner on this, but shhhh – let’s not talk about the ~ 20% of Labour voters that support it too. 😉
Seymour’s approach is to start a conversation just as a previous generation started conversations about same sex marriage and euthanasia. The tribal elite are terrified of that conversation because they know their arguments don’t really hold water. They’re just ‘cry bullying’ to try to shut it down.
Narsty Nicky Noboats throws Winny a hospital pass ?
yes she does and Luxon is no where to be seen as he throws her under the bus.But she said she has delivered as she threw that pass .Delivered a dead rat to Winston
Much as I would love to see National ACT and NZF knife each other to death in a violent threesome I do not see how Labour, Greens and Te Pati Maori can successfully fill the vacuum that would be left by the demise of the forces of darkness.
Young people of Aotearoa we need an alternative.
The young people are already on that page but you may well not like the result
Winston needs to move fast.
The coalition won’t collapse due to Peters or Seymour spitting the dummy unless they believe they will personally benefit.
Both are power driven so unless they think they can increase their share of the vote to give them even more power than our softcock PM gifted them they will just carry on ruining our country.