New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he has no concerns about featuring in Nicky Hager’s new book Dirty Work, telling Radio Waatea his party charts its own political course and that is why it is not part of Hager’s investigation.
Speaking with Dale Husband, Peters weighed into the growing controversy surrounding Hager’s examination of the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union, its political campaigning and its role in the debate over Three Waters and co-governance. Hager alleges the organisation increasingly used Māori and co-governance issues as part of its campaigning strategy, claims the Taxpayers’ Union strongly disputes.
Peters said he regarded the former Labour Government’s Three Waters programme as preposterous, but drew a distinction between his party’s opposition to the policy and the political networks examined by Hager.
He also took aim at two prominent figures associated with debates over Te Tiriti, saying former National Party leader Don Brash and ACT leader David Seymour do not know what they are talking about when it comes to the Treaty of Waitangi.
That position puts Peters at odds with Seymour on significant aspects of the Treaty debate. Peters has previously told Parliament that New Zealand First stands behind the Treaty while rejecting interpretations of Treaty principles that the party considers to have moved beyond the original agreement.
Husband also challenged Peters on why, given those differences, New Zealand First would enter government with parties holding significantly different positions.
Peters pointed to the realities of coalition government, arguing that stable government in New Zealand’s MMP environment often requires parties with different policies and philosophies to negotiate and find common ground.
The exchange highlights an increasingly important distinction as Hager’s book fuels fresh debate over the political right: opposition to policies such as Three Waters does not necessarily mean agreement over Te Tiriti, Māori policy or the political tactics used to campaign against them.
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