Winston Peters Slams 2026 Election as a Circus

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters characterized the 2026 general election campaign as the worst of his career, describing the process as a "circus" dominated by "performative virtue signalling" rather than substance. Peters criticized opposing party leaders for relying on superficial public stunts and unscientific polls. His own campaign focuses on healthcare access, education, affordable housing, and first-world wages, including a proposal to renationalize the BNZ.

Amidst this campaign, Peters condemned "unacceptable" personal attacks made by party candidate and broadcaster Michael Laws against Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong and candidate Kayla Kingdon-Bebb. Laws initially defended his remarks, telling a journalist, "If I've offended you this morning, you deserve to be offended," before later claiming he was being "wry and puckish."

National Party leader Christopher Luxon has already ruled out appointing Laws as a minister in any future government. While Peters described the incident as a "silly mistake," he has not yet decided on Laws' future with the party. This controversy follows a previous incident where New Zealand First cut ties with candidate Stuart Nash over derogatory comments toward women. Peters also criticized the National and ACT parties for proceeding with tax cuts despite his warnings regarding the state of the economy.