Election 2026: Winston Peters to unveil new NZ First policy at campaign launch to conclude convention

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is set to unveil new policy at his party’s election campaign launch in Auckland.Peters is holding a public meeting, which doubles as the launch, at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau to close his party’s annual convention.He is expected to make a campaign policy announcement.Peters will be speaking shortly after 2pm. A livestream of his speech will be played at the top of this article.This morning, more than 350 party delegates heard speeches from two of NZ First’s new candidates, former All Blacks captain Taine Randell and former National MP and broadcaster Michael Laws.The audience revelled in Randell’s recount of his ascent to the top of the New Zealand rugby ladder.He also spent time discussing his business record, having spent time in London working in the oil market before returning home.NZ First candidate and former All Black Taine Randell giving a speech at the party convention in Auckland. Photo / Sylvie Whinray“Oil independence” was one of his demands of New Zealand, as well as addressing the level of competition in the supermarket, energy and banking sectors.“What I see with New Zealand First is that they’re the only party who are espousing the pathway to prosperity,” Randell said.“Prosperity does not just happen. Prosperity requires trade-offs.”Public speaking doesn’t appear to come naturally to the former All Black, who admitted: “I get sick every time I get asked to speak.”While stilted at times, Randell’s speech was well received and earned greater applause than speeches yesterday from fellow candidates Stuart Nash, Alfred Ngaro and Harete Hipango-Brownlie – all former politicians.However, the greatest appreciation shown by the members was reserved for Laws, who has drawn comparisons with new Act candidate and fellow former broadcaster Paul Henry.Former National MP Michael Laws was an NZ First strategist in the 1996 election campaign and is now a candidate. Photo / Sylvie WhinrayLike Henry, Laws gave an entertaining address, using Randell as a launchpad into a story about playing rugby in Hawke’s Bay for Flaxmere’s third-grade team shortly after being the local MP.Playing on the left wing, Laws said he was soon targeted by the opposing Maraenui players and ended up with broken ribs early in the game, but remained on the park.Laws, previously an NZ First strategist for the first MMP election in 1996, noted how the party had transitioned from opposing “ideology of the far right” to now fighting an equally “ruinous” ideology of the “liberal and the left”.He was eager to stress NZ First was the only party in MMP history to grow its share of the vote whilst in partnership with a larger party. NZ First earned 6.8% of the vote in 2023 and one poll last week had the party at 11.5%.Laws believed that was down to a relentless focus on core issues before promising MPs in a future caucus would “reform this country and deliver it back to ordinary New Zealanders”.Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.