Peters places faith in 5pc threshold

Winston Peters. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Winston Peters New Zealand First leader Winston Peters won't stand in an electorate this election.

Instead his party will try to reach the 5 per cent threshold required under MMP to gain parliamentary representation without an electorate seat.

New Zealand First, which hopes to return to Parliament after Mr Peters failed to win Tauranga in 2008, released its party list yesterday. Mr Peters takes the top spot, but will not compete for the seat he held for more than 20 years, allowing him to campaign around the country, the party's board said.

Tracey Martin, who is standing in Rodney, is second on the list, followed by former North Shore mayor Andrew Williams, who is standing in the North Shore seat. Richard Prosser, who is competing for Waimakariri, and Barbara Stewart, standing in Waikato, round out the top five.

The party received 4.07 per cent of the party vote at the 2008 election but won no seats, so it lost representation in Parliament.

Act polled less than New Zealand First, with 3.65 per cent of the party vote, but because Rodney Hide won Epsom, it was entitled to five seats in the House.

Mr Peters was asked at the Business New Zealand Conference in Wellington if he would say what seat he would stand in.

After his speech, Business NZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly wondered aloud whether Mr Peters knew what kind of audience he had been speaking to, so strong was his attack on business.

Mr Peters said capitalism had lost its integrity and sense of social conscience.