2020 Election: Winston Peters Reveals NZ First Threatened To Unpin Coalition For Ihumātao

Winston Peters has claimed that NZ First had threatened to withdraw from the coalition with Labor if it went ahead with a deal on Ihumātao, saying it was a “trust” issue for NZ First.

In a speech in Orewa, Peters said that NZ First “went to the wall over Ihumātao”, rejecting Labor attempts to reach an agreement across the line three times and finally making it clear that it was a trust issue for NZ First.

It said that NZ First had also rejected Labor’s request to invoke the “agree to disagree” provisions in the coalition agreement, a step that would have allowed Labor to go ahead with the agreement, but without NZ First will support you publicly.

“We went to the wall over Ihumātao. Labor asked us to” agree to disagree. “

“We said no. For us it was a matter of deep principle. For us it was critical if we maintained confidence in Labor. So we said that to Labor. And we avoided any action before the election.”

Peters said that when NZ First negotiated to form part of a coalition government with Labor, they agreed that they would not abide by “politically correct policies.”

He said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern caught him by surprise by trying to strike a deal on Ihumātao in 2019 while he was abroad.

Peters said his party blocked the deal three times.

“We said no to Labor. Not once. Not twice. But three times,” Peters said.

“If Labor rules after the elections, by themselves, God forbid, or with the Greens, God help us all, then they will make a deal in Ihumātao.

“Nothing is safer.”

Peters told the crowd in a racially charged speech that he could protect New Zealand from “symbolic people, I’m-better-than-you-woke up.”

“One law for all has always been our mantra.”

The Fletcher Building bought the land in 2014 for a planned housing development, but protesters from the Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL) movement say it should be returned to the Maori.

In July last year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for any construction work to halt while the government and other parties tried to negotiate a solution.