Winston Peters mixes fact and fantasy in heated Dunedin campaign rally

During a rally in Dunedin’s Mosgiel Coronation Hall, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters delivered a series of contentious statements, claiming his party rescued KiwiRail’s Hillside workshop jobs, preserved the superannuation eligibility age at 65, and opposed the India free-trade agreement as a costly immigration trigger. He also labeled Prime Minister Chris Hipkins a liar over Covid-19 vaccine information, alleging widespread heart inflammation among youth, a claim at odds with official data.

Peters urged New Zealand to leave the Paris Agreement, a stance that elicited loud applause, while a challenger questioned the government’s climate response and was rebuked with references to Greta Thunberg. On local matters, Peters said water infrastructure was a municipal issue and deferred to the legal process on the Kahui twins case. He cited former Labour MP Pete Hodgson’s meeting with him as instrumental in securing a new Dunedin hospital, a point later.