Winston Peters has been busy touring the country in his bus trying to build back support for NZ First. He is usually good at extracting publicity from media.
As usual he is complaining when the coverage he gets isn’t favourable, and he is complaining about the polls. And he is attacking journalists, clashing a number of times with Katie Bradford from 1 News.
Last time NZ First were in Government, in 2005-2008, they ended up being thrown out of Parliament by voters after failing to make the threshold, getting just 4.07%, and Peters failed to hold his Tauranga electorate.
Polls from a month before the election weren’t far from the mark.
1 News Colmar Brunton: 2.6%, 2.1%, 3.0%, 2.4%
Herald/Digipoll: 2.1%, 3.9%
Roy Morgan: 4.5%, 4.5%
NZ First election result: 4.07%
So overall the polls weren’t too far off, allowing for the margin of error and late shifts in support.
Last election NZ polling a month before the election was actually often better than their election result.
1 News/Colmar Brunton: 10.0%, 9.0%, 8.0%, 6.0%, 4.9%
Newshub/Reid Research: 9.2%, 6.6%, 6.0%, 7.1%
Roy Morgan: 11.5%, 6.0%
NZ First election result: 7.2%
This election (up to a month before election day):
1 News Colmar Brunton: 1.8%, 2%, 2%
Newshub/Reid Research: 2.0%
Roy Morgan: 1.5%, 2.5%
So while polls are just a rough indication of voter support for parties at the time they are taken, it’s fairly obvious that NZ First have hit a rough patch.
And Peters is getting grumpy.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has once again gone on the offensive when quizzed about his party’s consistently low polling in the lead up to next month’s election.
“Geez, Kate, could you get off your boring narrative about the polls, so to speak?” an exasperated Peters said to 1 NEWS reporter Katie Bradford during a media conference in Kerikeri today.
“I hope on election night that you’re going to fly a white flag and resign because of countless questions you’ve asked on this silly question.”
He said he knew the National and Labour parties “seriously believe that New Zealand First is going to make it,” asking, “What do they know that you don’t know?”
Of course Peters could be just making that claim up. National and Labour won’t be counting NZ First out, but I doubt they “seriously believe that New Zealand First is going to make it”.
National’s Curia polling had NZ First on 3% at the end of July, and UMR who poll for Labour had NZ First on 3.9% at the end of August.
Leading into the 2017 election UMR had NZ First on 8% (1–8 Aug 2017) and 9% (11–16 Aug 2017), and Curia had them on 6% 20 Sep 2017 with NZ First getting 7.2%.
“You can’t write us off when there’s thousands and tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of forgotten New Zealanders whose only hope is New Zealand First,” Peters said.
He said he “didn’t bother to see” last night’s poll.
While New Zealand First has ranked poorly in political polls in the past, Peters has long been an opponent of what he called “rubbish.”
“I don’t like rubbish. I don’t like rubbish and I don’t like rubbish pollsters,” he said.
“Katie, with the greatest respect, you owe New Zealand First better coverage than this.
“To come along every day and talk about your boring polls is actually risable, it’s laughable, it’s ridiculous and it’s contemptuous of a fair coverage of a political party this campaign.”
Peters said people “deserve better coverage on your national TV than the bias” of 1 NEWS.
This is just Winston-speak for him wanting favourable coverage and no unfavourable coverage.
Peters expressed concern over a Labour-Greens government, saying they “don’t have the experience.”
They have just spent the last three years in Government (with NZ First), so that’s experience.
The popularity of Jacinda Ardern, who is not much more than half Winston’s age (she was born after Peters first became an MP in the Muldoon era), suggests that a lot of voters have moved on from old school politics.
He was also against a National-ACT government, telling Bradford to “do the mathematics.”
“You’re the one that’s always banging on about the polls. Do the mathematics, Katie, and be consistent for five seconds.
“You know that they’re 40 per cent shy of even making it, and if you’re going to bang on about the polls, try and be consistent about it, but I don’t believe in those sorts of polls because New Zealand First, our voter base, has never been fairly represented by them.”
Typical Peters, asking a journalist to be consistent while demonstrating his inconsistency.
Actually it appears that 1 News have been providing a range of good and not so good coverage of Peters campaigning. Over the last week:
- Winston Peters says he turned down offer to join forces with controversial Advance NZ party
- Winston Peters makes the most of it on the election campaign trail
- Taupō man pulls off rare feat of briefly stumping Winston Peters after questioning his smoking habit
- Sitting MP gets significant demotion as NZ First releases its list
- New Zealand First aims to cut price of cigarettes to $20
- Winston Peters grins as he’s asked if Jacinda Ardern is a Marxist at Hamilton Grey Power meeting
- Winston Peters storms off after ‘defamatory question’ about racing industry donations
- Peters says mortgage repayments for Māori and Pasifika need to be 30-40 per cent lower
- NZ First leader Winston Peters clashes with 1 NEWS political reporter Katie Bradford over polling
- ‘Boring, laughable, ridiculous’ – Winston Peters goes on attack after another poll puts NZ First out of Parliament
- Winston Peters remains confident he’ll make it to Parliament, despite latest poll result
- Winston Peters parrots usual lines about political polls on the campaign trail in Northland
That seems like a reasonable range of coverage.
Peters attacking journalists is normal for him. I think it is his way of trying to bully or coerce them into giving him better coverage.
But he has a real problem competing with Ardern’s niceness approach to politics.
And he is also competing for support with a resurgent ACT Party, and also with other parties seeking niche votes like New Conservatives and Advance NZ.
Peters has promoted NZ First as the anti-government party with some success in the past, but that’s difficult for him this time having just enabled the Labour led Government for three years.
He may still find some issue with which he can strike a chord with voters, but with Covid and Ardern dominating he is running out of time.
NZ First may hang on, but if they do they will likely be a lot weaker next term. Labour probably won’t even need them to form a Government.
Kudos to Katie Bradford. She has been in close contact with Peters on the campaign trail and she has the gumption to ask him difficult questions, and to report on Winston warts and all.
Your NZ 
John J Harrison
/ 24th September 2020Good bye and good riddance Peters.
The most venal politician to ever enter parliament.
Seymour is doing a wonderful job hovering up previously NZ First voters.
Met half a dozen at a recent meeting.
All royally pissed off with his promised “ bottom lines” which he through out at his first meeting of coalition talks 3 years ago.
I live in hope that the SFO will ensure the end of this self – serving party and result in the locking up of any office holders if found guilty of fraud that they are being investigated for.
Corky
/ 24th September 2020I thought Winston would have seen the writing on the wall with gun owners. But apparently he didn’t. Or maybe he thought it would go away? It did – to ACT.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/401344/gun-owners-force-winston-peters-out-of-nz-first-conference
Alan Wilkinson
/ 24th September 2020Not sure old school politics was different or will ever change.
Kitty Catkin
/ 24th September 2020Anyone who has read history will know that things don’t change; human nature doesn’t change.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 24th September 2020Yes, events change politics but human nature doesn’t.
Duker
/ 24th September 2020Looking forward to the post on Collins dismissing the polls,
Back in July
Collins insisted the party was on the way up and that the Colmar Brunton poll was “nowhere near” where National’s internal polls stood.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s all going in the right direction in my opinion.”
Comar Brunton from a few days ago said they were stuck in same place but no calling out her false optimism.
Peters comments are always held to a double standard, some can still remember the hubballo over his correct comments about the second wave ‘most likely’ came from a border breach showed theres a pile in that isnt rational.
Compared to the puff coverage for SEYMOUR who didnt do social distancing at his own meetings- of which there wasnt a peep
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020Funny.
You’re whinging as much about someone else not doing posts you want as Peters whinges about polls not giving him the results he wants or journalists not giving him the patsy coverage he is trying to coerce.
I haven’t seen anything on Collins dismissing the latest poll. This is how 1 News reported it:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/im-fighter-judith-collins-defends-poor-colmar-brunton-results
I think she’s at least party correct surmising that in a time of crisis or severe disruption it’s not unusual for voters to stick with the current Government. That seems to be what has happened in Australia. It’s just political reality.
And people seem to prefer to avoid the uncertainty of a Peters dictated coalition.
By the way, I’m not going to start doing posts to appease every whinge just as 1 News aren’t going to do Peters puff pieces to avoid him getting grumpy and trying to bully them.
There’s a lot of things I don’t post about. If you want political fan raves of your choice you may have to find somewhere else in social media like Facebook.
Duker
/ 24th September 2020Collins dismisses her party polling everytime she is asked … you have just shown that, as I showed she did right at the beginning , making spurious claims about ‘on the right trajectory’…utter nonsense.
and
Newshub is refuting a claim by Judith Collins on Wednesday that “push polling” was involved in its recently released poll.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/07/nz-election-2020-newshub-refutes-claim-highlighted-by-judith-collins-about-push-polling.html
And remember her big noise about Rogue Polling
“National leader Judith Collins labelled the Newshub-Reid Research poll as “rogue” – and Brownlee had sent a press release by 6.01pm on Sunday, backing up his leader’s words.”
I dont expect you to do posts to appease me, I understand its quite a lot of work you put into them.
Im just pointing out the double standard about ‘anything’ Peters claims , even if essentially correct, and how theres a media pile in , which you join in.
The Seymour thing about social distancing is a classic of something he wasnt doing either , yet his version was picked up by many – after Farrar did his ‘mischief’
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020I just googled David Seymour. Here’s the latest headlines you may like to have a read of.
The rise of ACT: David Seymour’s one man political band looks set to multiply exponentially
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/the-rise-of-act-david-seymour-s-one-man-political-band-looks-set-to-multiple-exponentially.html
With Act polling at 7%, who is on course to join David Seymour in parliament?
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/23-09-2020/with-act-polling-at-7-who-is-on-course-to-join-david-seymour-in-parliament/
ACT’s David Seymour ‘standout performer’ at finance debate
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/426685/act-s-david-seymour-standout-performer-at-finance-debate
If you want some better coverage of Peters you could try suggesting he halves his age and comes up with something more attractive to voters than “we’ll stop Labour doing stuff’.
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020Here’s something else you may find interesting – A political dance with no room for missteps
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/a-political-dance-with-no-room-for-missteps
Whinging about it is not a very likable trait.
John J Harrison
/ 24th September 2020Duker, utterly pathetic.
Peters is the greatest charlatan to ever appear in parliament.
Thankfully he will be gone in a month – along with his motley bunch of no hopers.
You cannot accept the fact that Seymour is on the rise, hovering up NZ First disgusted voters by the thousands.
Are you the only one who still believes the country’s future requires a self – serving Peters ?
Kitty Catkin
/ 24th September 2020(er….hoovering, not hovering)
I am proud to know David Seymour; we knew him when he was a twinkle in Roger Douglas’s eye, so to speak. He is a very nice man, and has the great gift of listening to people, unlike Winston. Winston’s heckling of David’s maiden speech was the first time that a maiden speech had been heckled, or so I heard.
Blazer
/ 24th September 2020So Seymore has 2 ears and can’t dance. ..fascinating.
Kitty Catkin
/ 24th September 2020I said LISTENING, not HEARING. There is a difference in this context. Listening means paying attention to what the other person’s saying, which seems to have escaped your notice.
He can laugh at himself, which is a great gift, and even though he was no Fred Astaire, he was a good sport and raised a large amount of money for his chosen charity on Dancing With the Stars.
Blazer
/ 24th September 2020‘He can laugh at himself, which is a great gift’
d like that…its good to..know.
Fight4nz
/ 24th September 2020If he is so good at hearing, why did he keep returning to parliament repeatedly when 99% recognised the quack and discredited brand of economics he and his party espouses and voted for anyone else, thereby effectively existing on the welfare benefit National provided?
Corky
/ 24th September 2020Crikey, Pete gave Duker his lumps…and an education.
Duker
/ 24th September 2020New reply to that , I appreciate the work he puts into posts…. and Collins has been dismissing Polls for months now , from ‘wrong trajectory’ ( they arent) to ‘rogue polls’ ( they werent) to her standard ‘they are wrong Im going to win’ ( which has become the default pushback)
Dealt with your obvious sycophancy as well…which for some reason you didnt notice….
Dealt to some know nothing yesterday who said there was no legislation from Ardern while opposition MP…. like there was a pile of stuff from Key the well known ‘parliamentarian’
Dealth with some one who doesnt know level 1 means no distancing required in South Island
Kitty Catkin
/ 24th September 2020Oh, so it wasn’t you slagging him off for supposedly not observing social distancing ?
Duker
/ 24th September 2020Seymour was photographed at his nelson campaign meeting – walking closely amoungst the SEATED audience, clearly not distancing, which he had the gall to find fault with Ardern about. Its called hypocrisy which you know plenty about. Dont try to pretend you didnt see it
No supposedly about it …the camera shows it all. Cant he stay at the front of the audience ?
Duker
/ 24th September 2020SEymour didnt even follow is own parties Instructions for the event
“Level 2 precautions: As this event will be taking place at Alert Level 2, we will be following all the Government requirements for a gathering in a public place.”
Waiting for Miss Catkin to say he failed the partys instructions at Nelson… waiting….
https://www.act.org.nz/act_party_leader_david_seymour_in_nelson
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020Winston Peters not social distancing:
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/election-2020/news/article.cfm?c_id=1504823&objectid=12367342
I think all leaders on the campaign trail will have been in situations where distancing wasn’t adhered to.
And a lot of the population going about their normal (as possible) lives.
But there is one fundamental difference. Only one party leader has been asking everyone to adhere to the rules and guidelines and to work as a team of 5 million – Ardern.
Just like it looked bad for the Minister of Health to ignore his own ministry’s rules, it looks bad when the educator in chief ignores her own requests.
John J Harrison
/ 24th September 2020Pete, dead bloody right.
Hypocrite – in – Chief that’s Ardern.
Duker, time for your milo and a nanny – nap.
You have overdone it, again.
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020More of Peters not social distancing.
And:
And:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/426223/winston-peters-finds-his-mojo-on-the-campaign-trail
I don’t actually have a problem with this. I’m just pointing out the very selective outrage attempted by Duker.
Duker
/ 24th September 2020So balance is more on Peters , and nothing on Seymour or Collins
The top one in Northland is after the level 1 was bought in….. you do know about level 1 dont you ? You have it down South as well as up North
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122824985/election-2020-david-seymour-criticises-jacinda-arderns-lack-of-social-distancing-in-selfie-while-on-the-campaign-trail
Seymour was especially culpable as he was pointing the bone at other politicians while ignoring it when it suited him in Nelson
Im suggesting , not asking , but has there been a critical ‘gaze’ over Seymour in the last 3-6 months?
https://yournz.org/tag/david-seymour/
This mainly featured Van Velden
“The ACT Party’s deputy leader is calling for public sector workers and beneficiaries to take a pay cut in order to help lower debt levels.
“Brooke van Velden was laying out the party’s ‘Alternative Budget’ in an appearance on Newshub Nation on Saturday, and says ACT’s approach will help New Zealand recover from the economic fallout of COVID-19.
https://yournz.org/2020/08/11/covid-excuse-used-to-raise-benefits-but-act-reduction-policy-is-nuts/
beneficiary cuts – thats gone under the radar….no doubt certain voices will chime in to say thats ‘ not what she was saying’
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020Sounds like an obsessive diversion from what Ardern did. You don’t have any problem at all with that, considering her position?
Duker
/ 24th September 2020This is about Peters …. Ive havent diverted from Ardern , you have [that was covered a few days ago…she said it was a mistake, who could disagree?]
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020“This is about Peters”
Why your dredging up something on Seymour you have already covered extensively then?
Duker
/ 24th September 2020So we covered Ardern…and moved on and today its Peters…..and moved on.
Just pointing nothing on Seymour
Pete George
/ 24th September 2020Yes, you diverted to Seymour and whinged about something that had already been well covered.
I haven’t actually seen you say much about Ardern’s social distancing faux pas, something she acknowledged wasn’t a good look.
Corky
/ 24th September 2020”Dealt with your obvious sycophancy as well…which for some reason you didnt notice….”
Eh?
Duker
/ 24th September 2020Sycophancy 101
“Two things: John Key was a leader of substance. He lead a talent-rich government that had substance…
yeah right he had to condolence comments prescripted “Our condolences go out to the family of the person killed”, “Clearly this is a terrible tragedy”,…“People will be shocked that the suspects are so young”.
Clearly the sincerity was more faked than Ellen ..
Corky
/ 24th September 2020I’m sorry..you are thrashing around looking for relevance. You have been dealt to. It’s been a tough day. Best you sign off and recover your vital force.
Kitty Catkin
/ 24th September 2020One of the PUTs* was me, Corks, don’t faint 😀
* Phantom Up Tickers
Kitty Catkin
/ 24th September 2020David Seymour and Judith Collins are not hugging strangers and cuddling up for photos as the PM is.
Blazer
/ 24th September 2020yes they are,… I sawed it on the…News.
Duker
/ 24th September 2020Seymour has been wading in amoungst the seated audience….and then pointing the holier tnan thou bone at someone else.
Have you adreesed the question of the evening at the Honest Lawyer,…has never admitted a mistake …or have the synchophants sung from the same holier than thou song sheet?
Griff.
/ 24th September 2020Peters got in last time with the small number of numbskulls who thought voting for NZ would “teach national a lesson”.
Read Kiwiblog or Whale oils comment section leading up to the 2017 election if you disagree with this fact .
A bunch of gibbering idiots were made to look like total half wits when peters went with labour.
Griff quoted this more than once re Peters last time around ,
Groucho Marx
W Peters has always been about how he can get power and access the baubles of office not what his voters are silly enough to believe or for any identifiable ideology standpoint.
He is well past his use by date and this person at lest is voting against him and his party having any influence this time around .
Kitty Catkin
/ 24th September 2020The PM seems to have forgotten that WP handed her the job of PM after the election…she was happy to work with him if it meant that, of course.
Duker
/ 24th September 2020Peters made Bolger PM before …and if the choice was English that time that too would be because he too kissed the ring…
Seymour will never have any negotiating to do , all he can offer is …No , it’s not enough when offered a bauble
duperez
/ 24th September 2020Regardless of the use by date and all the other stuff coming home to Peters would it be reasonable to suggest it did teach National a lesson?
All conjecture of course, but (if it were deliberate 🤔) how did the release of Peters’ private information work out as a really clever, well considered political ploy?
Accepting that learning a lesson, being educable, is a quality easily submerged by arrogance and ignorance.
John J Harrison
/ 24th September 2020Duker, for goodness sake get a life.
I have just returned from many hours of imbibing at my club with great mates.
And all I see on returning home are your pathetic comments that have trailed through the day.
Go for a walk and listen to the bird calls , but get a life instead of continually spouting crap.
You will be a better He / She as a result.
Duker
/ 25th September 2020You have got it all wrong , I hardly do a thing….this guy called Siri does it all for me.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 25th September 2020Winston has played everyone for fools forever and mostly got away with it. That should be his epitaph.