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The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll results suggest that Parliament can only see four parties represented after October 17: Labor, National, Act and Greens, but Ardern was asked on Saturday if he would consider working with Advance NZ if he entered.
“No,” he said, before being asked why.
“I think the reasons are pretty obvious. I think the fact that no one ever asked me was because people have rightly assumed that I would not work with Advance NZ.”
He said he does not agree with what the party represents.
Advance NZ was created earlier this year by former National Party MP and current Independent Botanical Representative Jami-Lee Ross and has since partnered with Billy Te Kahika of the New Zealand Public Party.
Ross will not be running for Botany this year, but he will be on the list. He believes that Te Kahika can win Te Tai Tokerau, allowing both men to enter Parliament if the party gets enough vote from the party. Te Tai Tokerau is currently in the hands of Deputy Labor Leader Kelvin Davis, who has a large majority.
Te Kahika has come under fire for conspiratorial comments about guys like COVID-19 and 5G. His following grew during the first COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand with people concerned about the use of restrictions limiting people’s freedoms by the government.
This week Advance NZ tried to use the courts to prevent Newshub Nation from broadcasting a multi-party ‘powerful’ debate that did not include Ross or Te Kahika.
The court allowed the debate to go ahead as planned, which Ross said was “disappointing.”
“Voters deserve to see how well [Te Kahika] he faces politicians from the other parties who will enter Parliament. “
If Advance NZ were to somehow enter Parliament, either winning a seat or crossing the 5 percent threshold, it appears that it will not be friends with any of the major parties.
On Friday, national leader Judith Collins ruled out working with the party.
“Absolutely … because I’m not crazy.”
Advance NZ did not appear in Sunday’s Newshub Reid-Research poll, but it did score 1 percent in Colmar Brunton’s latest poll.
