An emphatic end for the man who held the balance of power when New Zealand initially failed to cross the 5% threshold
He was the accomplished survivor of New Zealand politics; an irascible populist maverick who at times chose who would rule the country Winston Peters, the leader of the small New Zealand party, has been at the center of many political whirlwinds of the past decades – and, in 2017, propelled Jacinda Ardern to the head of the country
Year after year, he defied polls suggesting he would be relegated to political history, instead of being part of four governments during his tenure But in Saturday’s election, Peters failed to rank among the voters and will leave parliament, along with the party he founded
With 90% of the vote counted, New Zealand First won 26%, well below the 5% threshold required for a party to enter parliament, unless a member of that party wins a constituent seat Peters’ party failed This was an unworthy end for a party that had held nine seats in parliament and the balance of power in Ardern’s coalition government
« We must never stop trusting the people, whom we are privileged to serve in any capacity and for as long as it is, » Peters said on election night in the Bay of Islands
In the last term, Peters, 75, was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, roles he won in coalition talks with Ardern in 2017 After that election, when none of the main parties , Labor or National, did not have enough seats to rule on his own, both groups courted him for weeks as he sought to secure as many political concessions as possible
In the end, he chose the Labor Party – which had won fewer seats – over the National center-right, which had been in power for nine years
« Capitalism must regain its responsible face, its human face, » Peters said at the time. « This perception influenced our negotiations »
Now it seems unlikely that the former lawyer, who entered parliament in 1979 as a national party politician, will once again hold the nation in his grip while he decides who will lead
His result on Saturday, up from 72% of the vote in 2017, suggested that the help he received in his campaign from pro-Brexit activists Arron Banks and Andy Wigmore did not result in rising support populist that men expected
Before the elections, New Zealand’s first leader and the ‘bad boys of Brexit’ – Banks and Wigmore were two of the main architects of the EU’s LeaveCampaign for the UK to leave the European Union – came together shown shy about the couple’s role and if they were paid by Peters (they said they didn’t fund his campaign)
But the duo told Newshub outlet they plan to wreak ‘havoc’ in New Zealand’s vote by delivering ‘Winston on steroids’ to the public Neither chaos nor a pumped up Peters ever happened
« If there was any real impact to his campaign, other than the slightly flashier social media and some sort of over-the-top, cheesy fighting spirit in his online presence, then it certainly wasn’t obvious to me. « said Ben Thomas, a public relations consultant and former member of the national government
Commentators were reluctant to spell the end of Peters’ party because he had already corrupted poor poll results and has an elephant’s memory for those who speak badly of him
But Thomas said Peters, as the leader of an opposition party seen by many as a mainstream protest vote, would not have drawn so many voters after coming to power
« What really bothered him as an outspoken, rebellious character is that it’s a much harder story to tell when you’re in government, » he said. « Any criticism of the current regime will always seem a bit hollow «
Peters’ campaign was not helped by the fact that his party’s fundraising foundation was recently investigated by the Serious Fraud Office
Two people, whose names are deleted, were charged as a result The OFS said in September that they were not ministers, sitting MPs, election candidates or current members of New Zealand First But Peters was furious with the timing
The eccentric politician – with a rich and finely tuned voice – has had only two breaks since his tenure since 1979, advancing New Zealand first on a platform of reducing immigration, benefits for retirees and exhortations to « common sense »
Notoriously pugnacious, he has held press conferences that are part of New Zealand political folklore And he has embraced the label of populist
« Populism means you talk to ordinary people and place their opinions much higher than the ring road and the paparazzi, or dare I say the bureaucracy, » Peters told The Guardian in an interview in August
On Saturday night, the man who could easily give 45-minute press conferences was brief and dignified in offering his « heartfelt gratitude » to party supporters – then he left
Winston Peters
World News – AU – Kingmaker no more: Winston Peters in New Zealand political history
