Winston Peters and John Key have double kicked cross-party hopes of a sensible discussion on National superannuation in the guts.

Winston Peters was asked whether NZ First’s position that the super age should remain at 65 was likely to be an issue in such talks

“Of course it’s a bottom line.”

Mr Peters has rejected Labour’s calls for cross-party talks on the issue and he said Labour had made a terrible mistake with its super policy.

“If I was advising them on a political level I would ask them, how does this work?

“You’re sending out a dog whistle to a future voting group but you are not addressing the problem here and now. The here and now is an economic solution.”

NZ Herald: NZ First’s bottom line for super: 65

There have been growing calls for cross-party and outside parliament discussions on the future of NZ Super, so making bottom statements on the 2014 election are very disappointing.

And John Key, already in a self imposed instransigent Super position, has raised the politicking when the country needs leadership in the opposite direction.

“This is my challenge to Winston Peters. I dare him to go out there and say he will not under any conditions form a Government with Labour even if Labour’s policy is to raise the super age from 2020, not in the three-year period from 2014 to 2017.

“I dare him to say that. He will not… because he’s tricky,” Mr Key said.

Key can ill-afford raising trickiness regarding superannuation.

Ironically in the interview with TV3…

Prime Minister John Key is not ruling out working with New Zealand First in the future, saying he will spell out potential partners ahead of the next election.