New Zealand First is gathering in Auckland this weekend for its annual conference and election campaign launch, buoyed by a polling surge to 11.5 percent. Leader Winston Peters is utilizing the event to outline economic plans and position the party for an unprecedented second consecutive term in government.
Polling Momentum and the Path to Re-election
The party’s current standing represents a significant turnaround. According to the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll, New Zealand First has climbed 0.9 points to reach 11.5 percent—its strongest showing in that specific poll since July 2017. This marks the third consecutive rise for the party in these figures.
For Winston Peters, the numbers are a validation of the party’s ground game. While he has historically dismissed polling data as confetti
, he credited the recent upward trend to the frequency of public meetings held across the country. We’re in the room properly, and we’ve never been far from ordinary New Zealanders’ concerns and thoughts,
Peters said. We understand the situation that we’ve been going through, decade after decade, of all sorts of promises made politically and fulfilment not matching that.
Success at the ballot box would break a historical trend for the party, which previously struggled to maintain parliamentary presence after serving a term in government, most notably in 2008 and 2020. If the current polling were replicated on election day, the coalition—comprised of National, ACT, and New Zealand First—would secure 61 seats in a 120-seat Parliament, with New Zealand First accounting for 15 of those MPs.
Policy Priorities and the Indian Free Trade Agreement
The conference serves as a platform for the party to distinguish its agenda from coalition partners. Key policy goals include restricting voting rights exclusively to New Zealand citizens and automatically enrolling all newborn citizens into KiwiSaver with a $1000 government contribution. Furthermore, the party is advocating for the buy-back of the Bank of New Zealand and the splitting of energy gentailers.
Tensions remain high regarding the Free Trade Agreement with India. Peters has publicly criticized the deal, labeling it both discriminatory
and too generous
to India on immigration. Peters alleged that the National Party has altered its course on the agreement covertly to mitigate the impact of poor polling.
Peters’ absence during the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—due to scheduled business in Singapore and Japan—has highlighted the friction within the coalition over this diplomatic and economic issue.
A Roster of Returning Political Figures
The party’s campaign launch is notable for the inclusion of several high-profile political veterans. The list of candidates features former National MPs Alfred Ngaro and Harete Hipango-Brownlie, as well as former Labour MP Stuart Nash. As Thepost reports, Ngaro and Nash have been granted special speaking slots at the conference to address their decisions to pursue political comebacks under the New Zealand First banner.
The conference, held at the Due Drop Events Centre in South Auckland, has drawn approximately 360 delegates who paid $295 each to attend. The event schedule includes remit sessions, a gala dinner marking the party’s 33rd anniversary, and an official campaign launch meeting hosted by Peters on Sunday.
Economic Messaging for the Upcoming Election
Peters has framed the upcoming election as a critical juncture for the country, emphasizing a move away from what he described as Never-Never Land
politics. He maintains that the party’s platform is grounded in economic planning intended to address the cost of living, energy costs, and the broader economic trajectory.
“It’s not full of promises on the ‘Never-Never Land’ basis, but it’s filled with statements backed up with economic planning to take this country forward, to turn our economy around, to uplift all New Zealanders’ lives, to attack the cost of living, the cost of power, the cost of energy.”
With the campaign now officially underway, New Zealand First stands as the final coalition partner to host its conference. While National has focused its recent messaging on KiwiSaver policy and ACT has centered its platform on welfare, New Zealand First is betting that its focus on the rebuilding of real hope and real opportunity
will sustain its current polling trajectory through the election.
Worth a look
