January 21, 2025 • 7 mins
The ageless NZ First leader talks about aging politicians, Trump, tariffs, world peace, polls, and passing the Deputy PM baton to his nemesis David Seymour.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
For the first time in twenty twenty five Deputy Prime
Minister Winston Peters. I won't be able to say that
after May. We'll come back to that one. But Winston,
what is it about you old guys in politics? Trump's
seventy eight, you're seventy nine. Some people are saying, in fact,
a couple of golfers mentioned to me at Cromwell in
the weekend that you're getting better with age.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, this is not a cheese ad, but the reality
is the people have been very, very successful and much
older of the age in their life, such as Warren
Buffett Man. I mean, he was going at eighty nine
ninety still leading one of the world's greatest fun organizations.
His aide was four years older than him and was
(00:44):
doing the same. Then you've got Mahatier, the Prime minist
of Malaysia, You've got Rod Stewart, the rock stars, Mick Jagger.
It's a matter of attitude actually, and donct your age
is a good a piece of advice for old people.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeah, mind you look at Joe Biden. He hasn't aged
that well, but.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
A lot of people get that sort of condition much
earlier anyway, And that's a sad situation. A lot of it,
my view is treatable. A lot of it my views
to do with diet, the right diet, and that's rather important.
The more people to see about that, the more they
should pay attention.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, we'll hang on you. Aren't you infamous for the
late night whiskies and the cigarettes?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, what's that got to do with somebody's health.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Well, probably a lot of people would say that's not
good for your health.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And also it's ball dust. I mean, does a die
look like somebody who has been out late night all
the time on whiskey. Just have a good hard looker.
The evidence doesn't say that, you see. But that's not
what my opponents are like. The fact mid is that
they're so pristine or pure and that get no, they'd
get drunk on a wine biscuit made. That's the trouble
that you've got. You've got not enough people in part
with any character.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Well, you can't be accused of not having that. You're
the Deputy Prime Minister J. D. Vance as the new
Vice President of the United States of America. I hear
that you messaged them usterday, Yes I did.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
And funny enough, you know you all these darm Trolls
are saying, why don't you message Trump? I mean, it's
appalling the ignorance of some of these people in the
social media. And the answer is, of course, he is
the president and I'm not the president of New Zealand.
That context on the vice president, and that's why I'm
calling up Trump, and that's why I'm calling up dat Mans,
and that's why I'm calling up Amara Rubio the foreign minister.
(02:20):
That's the answer to that, and please don't show your ignorance.
But that's why it is that people say, oh, he
doesn't know what he's doing. He didn't even congratulate Trump.
This is extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well, I guess trump his in box might have been full. Anyhow, Look,
you're notoriously pro America. Can we I asked this of
Todd McLay yesterday. I tried Minister r F Foreign Minister.
Can we sort of cut some sweetheart deal with the Americans?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You reckon the circumstances we are facing a you know,
difficult given the Trump view on tariffs. However, that we
start with some advantages and our our obligations to exploit
those to the maximum.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Does Trump's talk on terriffs just bluster or is it
a negotiating tool.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It's not blustered. It's a serious belief that they've lost
so much of their business to other countries because of
the failure of having tariffs. Now you get all these
free marketeers to screen from the roof, this is a
bad idea, This is not not would be happening, But
it's the reality. We have to deal with the United States.
Bear in mine, of course, the money. In eighty four
eighty five, we threw open our door without any tariffs,
(03:34):
without any barriers at all, to the world, thinking that
they're all rush to deal with us, and they didn't.
You see what I mean. But you still had the economists,
we still had half of the media all screaming out,
this is fantastic, this is wonderful. Well the others. The
reality is that it wasn't wonderful. And the economy, the
economic decline since that time, mirror is that. But you
can't often get any common sense out of people when
(03:56):
they have a prejudice about where they stand. So here
we come. We've got to get into America's here and
tell them and get them to reason why we should
not be applied that in our case and in one way,
it's very very very clear. Why not because the balance
of trade massively favors of the United States in our case,
not the other way around.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Well, well, lucky Trump loves hamburgers and they need manufacturing
beef for their hamburgers. Putting on your foreign minister's hat
could Trump. And this is crystal ball gazing, admittedly, but
I'm wondering whether he could be a peacemaker on the
world stage. He's talking about peace through military strength. I
reckon he's just going to scare the Jesus out of
(04:38):
the likes of Iran and maybe even Putin.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
But he's already done that. In the case of Gaza,
I have no doubts at all that has Msry made
it very clear in the Middle East that does matter
how to be settled and settled now that's why we've
got them. It might be flimsy, but we've got a
truce now in Gaza. The other reality is, of course,
that he has made a very clear pastimes where they stand,
(05:03):
and I think we'll do much better in the sense
of people knowing that househould. I said, when you've put uncertainty,
then certain leaders tend to pare themselves far better than
the calculations of taking actions and there'll be no consequences.
There are numerous examples in the last four years where
there were stiff taken by driven and other people who
(05:26):
I don't believe had been taken a Trump had been
in power. But I couldn't say at the time because
we at the time we were dealing with the different regime,
the Democratic regime. But the truth is that Walter breaking
out here, there and everywhere, and sad to say, and
I don't think they would have ended in different circumstances.
(05:46):
And I think Biden's situation was rather sad ready we
can say it now, but I don't believe that we
should have had to what's that very sad circums And
I think the Democrats over a period of time in
history will seriously regret how they badly handle this issue.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yep, they've only got themselves to blame.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I know you're a bit like your old mate Bolger,
Jim Boulger, who said bugger the Poles. But the latest
taxpayers Union carrier Pole has New Zealand first at eight
point one percent, up two point seven percent. The Nats
are leaking and you're the beneficiary.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Well, I don't believe that. I think we're going to
keep on rising. And we have our strategy of the plan,
and we said in tween twenty five we're going to
keep on going up in the pulse. And when I
say the polls, I mean our ones, not theirs, because
these pulses are so loose. There's one out just yesterday
called Roy Morgan. Now there's appalling pole. The differences as
something like thirteen to fourteen percent between these two poles,
(06:52):
and that in any academic environment it's just unaccepable. And
so why is it the new zeum we listen and
hear and pay attention to these people when their record
on polling is so so so bad.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Why do I get the feeling final question for you
that you're going to hate handing the Deputy prime minister's
job over in May to your nemesis David Seymour, Because
to give you credit, you've been very statesmanlike as a
foreign minister and generally been well received as a deputy
Prime minister. You're gonna have a word to see more
and say, hey, look I'm doing a pretty good job here, Pale.
Just leave me in the seat.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
No, you don't enter agreements and then break your word.
I've been an agreement after agreement after agreement, and you
can't try and ask Helen Clark or Jim Balder whether
I've ever broken my word, but others have, for which
I find them and their behavior unforgivable.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Winston Peter's always good to chat on the country. Thanks
for making yourself available.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Thank you, Cheers,
For the first time in twenty twenty five Deputy Prime
Minister Winston Peters. I won't be able to say that
after May. We'll come back to that one. But Winston,
what is it about you old guys in politics? Trump's
seventy eight, you're seventy nine. Some people are saying, in fact,
a couple of golfers mentioned to me at Cromwell in
the weekend that you're getting better with age.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, this is not a cheese ad, but the reality
is the people have been very, very successful and much
older of the age in their life, such as Warren
Buffett Man. I mean, he was going at eighty nine
ninety still leading one of the world's greatest fun organizations.
His aide was four years older than him and was
(00:44):
doing the same. Then you've got Mahatier, the Prime minist
of Malaysia, You've got Rod Stewart, the rock stars, Mick Jagger.
It's a matter of attitude actually, and donct your age
is a good a piece of advice for old people.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeah, mind you look at Joe Biden. He hasn't aged
that well, but.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
A lot of people get that sort of condition much
earlier anyway, And that's a sad situation. A lot of it,
my view is treatable. A lot of it my views
to do with diet, the right diet, and that's rather important.
The more people to see about that, the more they
should pay attention.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, we'll hang on you. Aren't you infamous for the
late night whiskies and the cigarettes?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, what's that got to do with somebody's health.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Well, probably a lot of people would say that's not
good for your health.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And also it's ball dust. I mean, does a die
look like somebody who has been out late night all
the time on whiskey. Just have a good hard looker.
The evidence doesn't say that, you see. But that's not
what my opponents are like. The fact mid is that
they're so pristine or pure and that get no, they'd
get drunk on a wine biscuit made. That's the trouble
that you've got. You've got not enough people in part
with any character.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Well, you can't be accused of not having that. You're
the Deputy Prime Minister J. D. Vance as the new
Vice President of the United States of America. I hear
that you messaged them usterday, Yes I did.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
And funny enough, you know you all these darm Trolls
are saying, why don't you message Trump? I mean, it's
appalling the ignorance of some of these people in the
social media. And the answer is, of course, he is
the president and I'm not the president of New Zealand.
That context on the vice president, and that's why I'm
calling up Trump, and that's why I'm calling up dat Mans,
and that's why I'm calling up Amara Rubio the foreign minister.
(02:20):
That's the answer to that, and please don't show your ignorance.
But that's why it is that people say, oh, he
doesn't know what he's doing. He didn't even congratulate Trump.
This is extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well, I guess trump his in box might have been full. Anyhow, Look,
you're notoriously pro America. Can we I asked this of
Todd McLay yesterday. I tried Minister r F Foreign Minister.
Can we sort of cut some sweetheart deal with the Americans?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You reckon the circumstances we are facing a you know,
difficult given the Trump view on tariffs. However, that we
start with some advantages and our our obligations to exploit
those to the maximum.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Does Trump's talk on terriffs just bluster or is it
a negotiating tool.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It's not blustered. It's a serious belief that they've lost
so much of their business to other countries because of
the failure of having tariffs. Now you get all these
free marketeers to screen from the roof, this is a
bad idea, This is not not would be happening, But
it's the reality. We have to deal with the United States.
Bear in mine, of course, the money. In eighty four
eighty five, we threw open our door without any tariffs,
(03:34):
without any barriers at all, to the world, thinking that
they're all rush to deal with us, and they didn't.
You see what I mean. But you still had the economists,
we still had half of the media all screaming out,
this is fantastic, this is wonderful. Well the others. The
reality is that it wasn't wonderful. And the economy, the
economic decline since that time, mirror is that. But you
can't often get any common sense out of people when
(03:56):
they have a prejudice about where they stand. So here
we come. We've got to get into America's here and
tell them and get them to reason why we should
not be applied that in our case and in one way,
it's very very very clear. Why not because the balance
of trade massively favors of the United States in our case,
not the other way around.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Well, well, lucky Trump loves hamburgers and they need manufacturing
beef for their hamburgers. Putting on your foreign minister's hat
could Trump. And this is crystal ball gazing, admittedly, but
I'm wondering whether he could be a peacemaker on the
world stage. He's talking about peace through military strength. I
reckon he's just going to scare the Jesus out of
(04:38):
the likes of Iran and maybe even Putin.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
But he's already done that. In the case of Gaza,
I have no doubts at all that has Msry made
it very clear in the Middle East that does matter
how to be settled and settled now that's why we've
got them. It might be flimsy, but we've got a
truce now in Gaza. The other reality is, of course,
that he has made a very clear pastimes where they stand,
(05:03):
and I think we'll do much better in the sense
of people knowing that househould. I said, when you've put uncertainty,
then certain leaders tend to pare themselves far better than
the calculations of taking actions and there'll be no consequences.
There are numerous examples in the last four years where
there were stiff taken by driven and other people who
(05:26):
I don't believe had been taken a Trump had been
in power. But I couldn't say at the time because
we at the time we were dealing with the different regime,
the Democratic regime. But the truth is that Walter breaking
out here, there and everywhere, and sad to say, and
I don't think they would have ended in different circumstances.
(05:46):
And I think Biden's situation was rather sad ready we
can say it now, but I don't believe that we
should have had to what's that very sad circums And
I think the Democrats over a period of time in
history will seriously regret how they badly handle this issue.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yep, they've only got themselves to blame.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I know you're a bit like your old mate Bolger,
Jim Boulger, who said bugger the Poles. But the latest
taxpayers Union carrier Pole has New Zealand first at eight
point one percent, up two point seven percent. The Nats
are leaking and you're the beneficiary.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Well, I don't believe that. I think we're going to
keep on rising. And we have our strategy of the plan,
and we said in tween twenty five we're going to
keep on going up in the pulse. And when I
say the polls, I mean our ones, not theirs, because
these pulses are so loose. There's one out just yesterday
called Roy Morgan. Now there's appalling pole. The differences as
something like thirteen to fourteen percent between these two poles,
(06:52):
and that in any academic environment it's just unaccepable. And
so why is it the new zeum we listen and
hear and pay attention to these people when their record
on polling is so so so bad.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Why do I get the feeling final question for you
that you're going to hate handing the Deputy prime minister's
job over in May to your nemesis David Seymour, Because
to give you credit, you've been very statesmanlike as a
foreign minister and generally been well received as a deputy
Prime minister. You're gonna have a word to see more
and say, hey, look I'm doing a pretty good job here, Pale.
Just leave me in the seat.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
No, you don't enter agreements and then break your word.
I've been an agreement after agreement after agreement, and you
can't try and ask Helen Clark or Jim Balder whether
I've ever broken my word, but others have, for which
I find them and their behavior unforgivable.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Winston Peter's always good to chat on the country. Thanks
for making yourself available.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Thank you, Cheers,
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