Peters blames media - again

Winston Peters will today tell his party faithful his first foray into foreign affairs was a success marred only by the "trivialising" efforts of the media.

The Herald on Sunday understands Mr Peters will use his address to the NZ First annual convention in Rotorua to sell its members on the policy gains of the confidence and supply deal with Labour and to explain why he reversed his election pledge to reject "the baubles of office".

He will also accuse the media of having trivialised his visit to the Apec forum in Korea, which he returned from last Friday, and ignoring the serious issues of international affairs.

Mr Peters last night accused the media of underestimating the success of the trip, saying the discussions were "extremely cordial and very worthwhile in every respect".

"I attended every meeting and all those journalists didn't attend one between them," he said. "What public jury listens to a witness who was never at the scene?"

Already the focus of intense media attention while abroad, Mr Peters was thrust further into the spotlight after his predecessor Phil Goff compared having Mr Peters in Cabinet to the difference between having your mother-in law living at your house or next door.

Mr Goff, who later accused the media of "hounding" Mr Peters, also had to answer questions posed by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer about the unorthodox arrangement of having a foreign minister outside Cabinet.

Mr Peters will also tell the conference today that the election result - an apparent 57-57 stand-off between Labour and National-led blocs - forced him to revisit the party's election promise to sit on the cross-benches and eschew the trappings of power.

He will urge members to think positively about the party's future despite a result that saw the caucus cut from 13 to seven MPs and Mr Peters lose his Tauranga stronghold.

He said last night that NZ First's election campaign was akin to New Zealand's successful bid to host the Rugby World Cup.

"Everybody was writing it off and saying it was a hopeless cause and yet we won. That's because the team was dedicated and stuck to their jobs."

NZ First MPs admitted there could be some members at the convention upset by the party's deal with Labour.

"You will have people who are not happy, but I think if they are prepared to sit down and listen to the rationale for the decision that was made, you'll find a lot of them will come around," said MP Pita Paraone.

Other business at the conference will include the election of a new party president, following the resignation of Doug Woolerton, who is understood to have opposed Mr Peters becoming a minister. Former MP Dail Jones is believed to have the inside running but could face a stiff challenge from another former MP, Brent Catchpole.

Mr Paraone denied there was continuing division in the caucus over Mr Peters' ministerial post, saying the media were unfairly obsessed with the governance arrangements.

"This is the sad thing about it - one seems to get the impression that everyone would like to see him fail."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY