Adam Pearse: NZ Herald political reporter ahead of the final day of NZ First's conference

The bulk of New Zealand First's announcements are expected today for the final day of its annual conference. 

Party members and supporters have gathered in Palmerston North along with surprise guest Stuart Nash, a former Labour Minister.

NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse says up to 1000 people are expected for Winston Peters' address this afternoon.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'b New Zealand Herald Deputy Political editor Adam Pierces with me. Now,
good morning here you gooda. We have been talking about
the Tamachimikado by election. What does aliny Kuye Parter bring
to Parliament do you think, Well, not a lot.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Of experience really in terms of the political field, which
I think has probably shocked a few people with respect to.

Speaker 4 (00:34):
The result in the by election last night.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
I think there would be many who would have expected
Penny Henadi, which is who is an old hand, you know,
someone who has held that seat for a long time,
is fairly well known, very popular, but was overtaken and
in a strong way by order any kuipitter. Obviously she
has a background in journalism, she's not foreign to the

(00:58):
political world. But I mean even she recognizes the experience
that she has in politics, and yeah, it'll be to
see what she does bring to Parliament when she does enter.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Twenty seven point one percent of the just over forty
four thousand people enrolled in that electorate voted yesterday. What
do you think of the turnout?

Speaker 3 (01:20):
Oh look, it's low and I don't think anyone was
expecting anything else. By elections are typically low turnouts, you know,
especially when we have local body elections going on at
the same time. I think Penny Hennerde was the one
to acknowledge that some people had come up to him
and asked him whether he was running for mayor so,
you know, you get these kind of perhaps confusing campaigns

(01:42):
and people not really engaged in the politics, and I
think that's how these things are quite hard to predict.
When you have such a low turnout. You have a
lot of campaigning on social media, not as much on
the ground, so you know, I think that's probably why
there were a few people last night and waking up
today that would have been a bit surprised at last

(02:04):
night's result.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Adam, youre I's bepening on the weekend that New Zealand
First Conference in Palmerston North, anything interesting sort of taken
place up till now or are you're really just waiting
to hear Winston Peters speak at two o'clock today?

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Oh look, it's always always interesting attending in New Zealand
First Conference. I think this is my fourth and this
one certainly hasn't disappointed.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Yesterday.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
It was much of a Shane Jones show really, although
we did have the would we call it a surprise
Stuart Nash declaring his allegiance to New Zealand person and
making all the right sounds in terms of becoming a
New Zealand first MP. We didn't get confirmation of that, obviously,
there's a process to go through. The party has yet

(02:48):
to confirm its candidate list for twenty twenty six. But
you know, when you have Suart Nash, the former Labor
Cabinet Minister of course, standing next to New Zealand First
leader Winston Peters and both of them making pretty positive
noises about it, it's hard to hard to believe it
won't happen.

Speaker 4 (03:06):
That was interesting to see him there.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
Obviously we had the former National MP Hipanga as well.
She was perhaps more understated in her presence at the
conference today and will be yes and yesterday of course,
but she is exploring her options. She said she's had
a look and listen whether she will be an MP

(03:28):
obviously again that's up to the party. But as you note,
today is the big day we'll have Winston Peters making
his address. It will be a public meeting. They're expecting
the party anyways, expecting as many as a thousand people
to turn up, which would be an impressive site to see.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
There'll be a.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Government announcement it sounds like, and there will also be
a lot of talk on immigration policy from New Zealand.

Speaker 4 (03:50):
First.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
You know, Whinton Peters doesn't hold back at these things,
so it'll certainly be quite an event.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
And of course the we can collective your ow Newstalk
VP will be across that the safternoon, Adam, the Prime
Minister is after the Solomon Islands for the Pacific Island
Forum Leaders Meeting. Now normally this is attended obviously by
members and states of this region, but also they have
what they call these dialogue partners. They have representatives from China, France,
United States, United Kingdom, Japan, I Want and places who attend,

(04:19):
and this year they have been blocked. Is that going
to have an impact do you think on this Forum
Leaders Meeting?

Speaker 4 (04:27):
Oh? It certainly.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
Well, it's been one of the major talking points going
into the meeting, which is the preminent kind of collection
for the permanent event for Pacific leaders to all come together.
They go off a part of the schedules, all the
leaders go off and they basically just sit in a
room and talk by themselves and come up with plans
how they want to advance the Pacific. But yes, the

(04:48):
absence of the dialogue partners, and that comes over a
disagreement of over Taiwan. Obviously, China believes that Taiwan is
part of China doesn't recognize it as a country on
its own.

Speaker 4 (04:59):
You have some members in the Pacific Islands Forum who.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
Do recognize Taiwan. So that's the disagreement where we have.
And given the Solomon Islands link to China, obviously Solomon
Islands is where this year's IF is being held, they've
decided no dialogue partners, and that means you don't get
the likes of the US and others from Europe coming
in and when it comes to the Pacific, that's key
for funding for funding development in the region.

Speaker 4 (05:26):
And if you don't have those dialogue partners there.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
That obviously threatens the ability for those dialogue partners, for
those bigger nations to come in look at the projects
and say yeah, we'll fund that, We'll put a bit
of money towards that. So I think there's there will
be people in the New Zealand government and looking at
the absence of those dialogue partners and saying, well, we
may have to fut more of the bill now that

(05:49):
those partners aren't going to be there.

Speaker 4 (05:50):
But obviously it'll be interesting to see how it goes
on the ground.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
We'll be heading over there with the Prime Minister in
the coming days and we'll have to see and wait
and see how it goes.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
Thank you so much, Adam.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news Talks there from nine am Sunday, or
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