[ad_1]
Peters said in July that his party “opposed the waking of the goblin dust,” while Shaw described New Zealand First as a “chaotic and disorganized” partner in government.
“You can almost see the ads right? New Zealand First, you can stop the progress,” Shaw joked in his closing speech last month.
But ironically, Shaw has now been caught demanding a political bailout from his ministerial colleagues, halting progress to get his way.
Newshub revealed Tuesday that Shaw’s office sent an email to his ministerial colleagues giving them an ultimatum, refusing to approve projects in a $ 3 billion infrastructure fund unless he obtained dosh for the controversial Green School.
Shaw told Newshub on Wednesday that he “asked no one for ransom,” but Peters sees it differently.
“If you cannot win with logic, reason and the strength of your proposal, then there is no way to behave,” the NZ First leader told Newshub.
“It’s bad enough. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Maybe it happened, but not in that naked, inexperienced way.”
Shaw said, “I also had several other projects that I was concerned about that were not in that final report, so I was not ready to sign it until those questions were answered.”
But no other project was mentioned in the threat, only his demand for funds for Green School.
National education spokeswoman Nicola Willis is outraged.
“Who won that ultimatum? Who won that showdown? The Green Party won. Politics won, the Green School won and New Zealand taxpayers lost, and you should all be ashamed of yourselves,” he said in Parliament.
National Party leader Judith Collins called for Shaw’s resignation.
“What we’ve seen from James Shaw is utter hypocrisy,” he said Wednesday. “I thought I was going to quit yesterday.”
Shaw told Newshub that he has not reconsidered offering to resign. But he has spoken with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and has apologized to his ministerial colleagues.
The prime minister said there will be different points of view in a three-party government.
“Obviously, as a coalition government working with three different parties, there will often be different perspectives,” he said Wednesday.
You can say it again: Shaw has made it clear that he believes Peters is a handbrake to progress.
Peters replied, “Well, a handbrake on stupid ideas is not a handbrake on progress.”
Shaw said Peters will say anything to get reelected.
“Winston Peters is fighting for his political survival and so he will say what he says to try to make sure he gets back in Parliament after the election,” he told Newshub.
Thanks to Shaw, the Greens now also fight for their political survival.
“Oh, there will be repercussions,” Peters said. “I will let the people of New Zealand decide if that is the right way to behave.”
When asked if he thinks the Greens will go back to Parliament, Peters said: “I’m just saying I’ll let the people of this country decide. They expect a certain standard of accountability and transparency and you won’t get it.”
Analysis by political editor Tova O’Brien
It’s almost impossible to see James Shaw resign before the election; definitely not from their ministerial roles. You played a stupid game of risky politics and it backfired, but you’re right that it’s not a resignation crime.
His penance really falls on the Green Party and its supporters – they hated this Green School deal and the way Shaw handles it is disgusting.
But now he will not give up co-leadership, that would leave the party in tatters and they will almost certainly not return to Parliament.
One thing that seems clear: the chances of the Greens and NZ First working together again are infinitesimal and they probably won’t have to.
Both sides fight for political survival, both fight to kill the other.
