Voters should deal with Peters, says Clark

Helen Clark

Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday mildly criticised Winston Peters for his speech on Islamic extremism, suggesting it was up to the voters rather than her to rule out his New Zealand First party from coalition contention in the election.

But she hinted that she might revisit the issue later in the campaign, drawing attention to the fact that when she ruled out New Zealand First from coalition in the 2002 campaign over its immigration policy, it was in the final week of the campaign.

"It happens to be rather early in the campaign at the moment," she said yesterday at her post-Cabinet press conference.

She was being questioned about the call by Act leader Rodney Hide for Labour and National to "neuter" Mr Peters by refusing to deal with him.

Helen Clark said that assumed Mr Peters might be in a position "to call the shots" and assumed he wanted to be in coalition.

She also restated that Labour's preferences for partners in Government were Jim Anderton's Progressive Party, United Future and the Greens "who have served us well over the past two terms".

"People should be very careful about giving their votes to small parties when they don't know where those small parties would put their votes.

"People have been led up that path and let down very, very badly in the past."

A series of polls after the May Budget placed Labour and National in a polling position that would have required New Zealand First's support to form a Government.

But polls last week showed an improvement for Labour and more choices.

Helen Clark yesterday declined to offer any strong judgment on Mr Peters' speech in which he said there were extremists in New Zealand and called on moderate Islamic leaders to identify them.