NZ First leader Winston Peters has angrily responded to a query about whether he might side his party with Labour after this year’s election, calling it a “wanker question”.
Bridge asked Peters if National’s recent warnings he might side with Labour were true. Peters said National in the past had ruled them out, “and we win with somebody else, then you start whinging”.
In 2005, NZ First propped up a Labour-led government through a confidence-and-supply agreement, and in 2017 formed a formal coalition with them.
But since the pandemic, Peters has repeatedly ruled out forming another government with Labour.
“Is it a problem that some of you people are slow learners or something?” he asked Bridge.
Pressed on the issue, Peters said National was “not in control of this election … in any way, shape, or form”. He called suggestions he might go with Labour “yesterday’s news”, quoting a 1967 song by the Rolling Stones, Yesterday’s Papers.
“What’s wrong with you people? Do I need to come and put a brand on your head? We’re not going with Labour… I haven’t been around this long to come on this programme to talk about that sort of wanker question.”
Peters served as deputy prime minister during the first half of the coalition government’s term, replaced by ACT leader David Seymour for the second.