Winston Peters addresses crowd in Invercargill
Saturday 10 October 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story Winston Peters, NZ First
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters spoke to an audience in Invercargill on Saturday. He commented on the historical tendency of Southland to forgive other political parties despite feeling neglected or disowned.
Key facts
5 facts
- Winston Peters spoke to 250 people in Invercargill on Saturday
- Proposed minimum wage increases to match inflation for three years
- Proposed tax cuts for small and medium enterprises from 28% to 20%
- Proposed merging Bank of New Zealand with Kiwibank
- Proposed a $70 weekly increase to Working for Families
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters addressed a crowd of 250 people at Southland Boys’ High School on Saturday. He pledged to campaign for the minimum wage to increase by at least the level of inflation annually for the next three years. Peters also proposed making the previously announced $40-a-week Working for Families boost permanent and increasing it by an additional $70 a week.
The leader proposed cutting tax rates for small and medium-sized enterprises from 28% to 20%. His policy platform includes breaking up the supermarket duopoly and splitting the four gentailers into separate retail and generation businesses. He also intends to focus on adding value to products, particularly in the dairy industry, before they are exported.
Peters advocated for the buyback of the Bank of New Zealand from its Australian owner to merge it with Kiwibank. He claimed Australian banks have removed $56 billion from the economy over the last eight years. Regarding national identity, he stated, “Everybody is saying diversity is our strength. It’s not. Unity is our strength.”.
During the event, an audience member questioned the party's immigration policies, while another requested sanctions against Israel. Neither of these queries received support from the crowd. Peters also remarked that Southland has historically acted like “the southern branch of the Mother Theresa Society”.
Compiled from reports by The Press and NZ Herald.
