Large crowd warms to Peters' speech

NOW HEAR THIS: New Zealand First leader Winston Peters drives a point home to his Masterton audience yesterday. PHOTOS/ANDREW BONALLACK

A large, enthusiastic crowd greeted New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at his public address in Masterton Town Hall yesterday afternoon.

About 150 people packed out the Frank Cody lounge - with a small crowd standing at the back of the room - and greeted the former Deputy Prime Minister with loud applause.

In his speech, Mr Peters challenged his audience, with the election looming, to carefully consider what he described as the failure of the current Government to provide for ordinary New Zealanders - "even if you've voted for National in the past".

"If you believe this is as good as it's going to get, then I feel sorry for your grandchildren," he told the crowd, which consisted largely of those aged 60 and over.

His address touched mainly on the issues of overseas land and company ownership in New Zealand, increased Crown debt, unreasonable house prices, cuts to the police budget and reduced crime reporting, and cost of the Auckland supercity affecting the rest of the country.

The crowd nodded and made murmurs of affirmation throughout, but it was the topic of immigration which seem to resonate most - especially when the MP mentioned New Zealand was now accepting around 98,000 migrants annually.

"That's twice the size of Wairarapa, and then some. They all need schooling, housing and medical costs. And they say that's going to be good for New Zealand? I say balderdash."

The crowd applauded in response.

Mr Peters allowed a brief question time at the end of his speech, in which audience members quizzed him on superannuation, caps on foreign land ownership, and the jump in prescription costs to $5 - which Mr Peters said was "grossly unreasonable".

He challenged the audience to "dig beneath the spin, the posed pictures, the sound bites and the kissing of babies" .