New Zealand First leader Winston Peters
New Zealand First will hold its annual convention in
Christchurch this weekend with a focus on returning party
members to Parliament, after being voted out at the 2008
election.
Leader Winston Peters has been campaigning around the country
selling party policy with an aim to return to Parliament
after the 2011 election, but is yet to announce which
electorates may be targeted or whether there will be any new
faces.
"This country has gone from greatness to mediocrity in one
generation under the leadership of both National and Labour,
and our policies and commitment comprise the only hope for
New Zealand to become great again," he said.
Mr Peters said "slavish adherence to orthodox free market
policies" was putting thousands of people out of work and
sending exporters to the wall.
On TVNZ's Breakfast programme this morning he dismissed
speculation about who might join the party, much of it
centred on former Wanganui mayor Michael Laws.
"There is no truth in that -- as he has said and as I have
said."
Laws was a National Party MP from 1990-1996, and NZ First MP
after the 1996 election.
He said he didn't know which electorate he would contest, but
rubbished a media report from a couple of months ago
suggested he was targeting Prime Minister John Key's
Helensville seat.
There would be some "very exciting candidates" but it was up
to the party to make any announcements, Mr Peters said.
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