‘Boring, laughable, ridiculous’ - Winston Peters goes on attack after another poll puts NZ First out of Parliament

September 23, 2020

Peters said he hoped Bradford would resign on election night while holding a white flag.

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."

Yesterday's latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton poll put NZ First at two per cent, not enough to return to Parliament unless they also claimed an electorate seat. 

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?"

Peters stressed he was "utterly confident" the party would make it through to Parliament come October 17.

Peters and NZ First MP Shane Jones yesterday announced $30 million in provincial growth funding to go towards 11 projects around Northland and generating hundreds of much-needed jobs.

Jones is needed in the Northland seat to secure New Zealand First's way back to Parliament if the party is unable to reach the five per cent voter threshold to sit in Parliament.

A 1 NEWS-Colmar Brunton poll taken in early August had incumbent National MP Matt King out on front at 46 per cent, with Labour's Willow-Jean Prime coming in at 31 per cent.  

Jones was third on 15 per cent support. 

A Colmar Brunton poll on Q & A shows incumbent National MP Matt King out in front on 46 percent with Willow-Jean Prime from Labour is on 31 percent.

"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.

He said Labour's policies are copies of those of New Zealand First's, including the Provincial Growth Fund, Billion Trees and $100,000 to small businesses.

"I can go after issue after issue after issue where it's a New Zealand First generated policy, not theirs."

Peters expressed concern over a Labour-Greens government, saying they "don't have the experience."

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."

Peters added that there wouldn't be a rise in the ACT Party in the lead-up to the election but "a tumbling shortly."

"You stand back and watch, but of course you've got your pollsters to think about, and I've got all these years of experience and a political science degree and I think I might - I just might - know more about it than you guys."

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