Table of Contents
Summarised by Centrist
Winston Peters used his State of the Nation speech to unveil a headline policy to break up the electricity gentailers.
Peters said the big power companies should “no longer control both the power and the price”, arguing the current system lets a small group dominate generation and retailing at the expense of consumers.
He said the proposal would mean “more power stations. More renewable energy. More competition. More resilience.”
Peters admitted the economy “isn’t where it should be”, using that backdrop to argue for a stronger nationalist approach to major assets and industries.
He attacked Fonterra over plans to sell brands including Mainland, Anchor and Kapiti, saying it had shifted from a “propped-up nationalist company” to a “sell-out globalist company”. He also rejected calls to sell the government’s stake in Air New Zealand.
Peters also returned to COVID, saying the latest inquiry raised fresh questions for former Labour ministers, including Chris Hipkins and Ayesha Verrall. “Someone needs to be held accountable,” he said. He also claimed Labour failed to properly inform the public about vaccine risks, a charge Labour denies.
Peters took aim at Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, framing NZ First as the party willing to confront opponents that others tiptoe around.
The event doubled as a campaign launch platform, with Alfred Ngaro unveiled as a new candidate. Ngaro said NZ First stood for “what is right” and told supporters that “the best days of New Zealand are not behind us, they are ahead of us.”
