Winston Peters will deliver his leader's address at NZ First's conference in Christchurch today. Photo / Tania Whyte
Winston Peters will deliver his leader's address at NZ First's conference in Christchurch today. Photo / Tania Whyte
New Zealand First members are being told to remain steadfast in their efforts to be the "party of contrarians" following a rousing speech by one of its senior members ahead of leader Winston Peters' final address today.
The first day of NZ First's conference in Christchurch concluded yesterday with a typically verbose but forceful speech from former MP Shane Jones, who urged the roughly 100-strong audience to stay true to the party's principles.
"Don't allow our message to be cancelled, do not allow our message to be smothered by those who infest, either Twitter or Facebook or mainstream media," Jones declared.
"We can easily be depicted as an irrelevant party, but there's great virtue in being a party of contrarians."
Jones' speech followed a somewhat clunky but successful first session discussing remits which will form the party's priorities if it was to enter into coalition discussions after next year's election.
After further sessions and speeches by economist Cameron Bagrie and rugby league identity Sir Graham Lowe today, the conference will be closed by Peters after his leader's address where policies relating to the economy, education and other topics are expected.
Jones spent 20 minutes yesterday afternoon canvassing the Government's flaws, much to the pleasure of his fellow members who broke into applause several times throughout Jones' spell on stage.
The crux of his speech concerned Government objectives that were "untethered" to reality. He spoke of the failure of KiwiBuild to deliver 100,000 homes, blamed Government policies instead of overseas factors as drivers of inflation, and the vocal opposition to Three Waters.
"When we go out of here, constantly remind ourselves and our members there is an enormous gulf between what Jacinda's Government has promised to do and precious little what they've achieved on the ground.
"It is time that we stood up and challenged the doctrinaire thinking of Labour and the Greens."
Shane Jones captivated NZ First members during his speech on Saturday night. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Jones took the time to namecheck new Auckland mayor Wayne Brown and prematurely thank him for his intentions to kill off Labour's light rail plan in the city - calling the mayor a friend to the party.
Invoking his own whakapapa as Māori, Jones called for an end to the use of colonisation as explanation for Māori achieving less than Pākehā, saying it did more harm than good.
"[Labour's] go-to position, along with the Greens, is to go back and reprise the stories of colonisation and use that as an excuse as to why things are happening ... we must absolutely call time on that.
"That ideology is an excuse for failure and it will have a chronically crippling effect on our ability to grow as a nation."
Race will become a key issue later today when remits concerning the Treaty of Waitangi and giving English the same legal status as Te Reo Māori are discussed.
New Zealand First president Julian Paul (right) addresses the crowd. Photo / Adam Pearse
Yesterday's seven remits were carried by the members in attendance, including repealing Fair Pay agreement provisions that do not have a majority of support.
Other remits included the party investigating regionalising Kiwibank profits through community trusts, investigating a three-year no-repayment scheme for students on their loans, and retaining assets such as Tiwai Point, Marsden Point Oil Refinery and Glenbrook Steel Mill.
The mood on day one at the Rydges Latimer was energetic, thanks in large part to the enthusiasm of the party's leader whose well-known magnetism was on full display.
"They thought that we were over, how wrong they are," Peters said in his triumphant drawl during his opening address yesterday.
Peters went so far as to predict a snap election, if the political climate worsened for Labour.
"I don't believe we are looking with any certainty to an election in November next year.
"I think it's quite possible as the kaleidoscope of events start to cross their minds inside that 65-member caucus and they know the game is up, that they will not last to November next year."
Winston Peters was full of energy and enthusiasm at his party's conference in Christchurch yesterday. Photo / Adam Pearse
NZ First Tauranga electorate secretary Maureen Guy, who has been with the party since its 1993 inception, said NZ First was "very much on the up".
Waimakariri electorate chairwoman Andrea Bertie and treasurer Maureen Landreth had been to 13 NZ First conferences between them.
Landreth was buoyed to see so many of the party's former MPs in attendance, including Fletcher Tabuteau, Mahesh Bindra, Darroch Ball and Jenny Marcroft.
"Imagine losing the job in the way that they did and having the energy and desire to carry on."
They both expressed concerns about what they described as the Government's preference for Māori and calls to change New Zealand's name.
On Peters' competitors, Bertie considered National leader Christopher Luxon "a newbie" and questioned his political pedigree.
On Act's David Seymour, Bertie confessed she admired what he had to say but largely because she felt he was parroting NZ First policies.
