Former Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is remaining coy about whether or not he'll throw his hat into the ring for the Tauranga by-election.
Peters had joined Breakfast and spoke about being trespassed for two years from Parliament for visiting protesters on February 22.
Receiving the trespass notice on his doorstep, he told 1News on Tuesday, "I thought it had to be a joke."
READ MORE: Winston Peters thought trespass notice 'had to be a joke'
"I'm saying the laws of this country should be held equally, no matter who you are, no matter what your background is, and I think it's a principle worth fighting for and New Zealanders should fight for it, because if they don't, they'll find decay in their society and erosion of their fundamental rights as human beings," Peters said on Breakfast.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had spoken to Speaker Trevor Mallard, encouraging him to talk to other parties in Parliament.
"He does ultimately have the jurisdiction and the responsibilities over these grounds, but it is an issue where he is having to decide whether past Members of Parliament are treated exactly as everyone else," Ardern said.
Mallard tweeted that a special Parliament group met to discuss whether past MPs should be exempt from receiving trespass notices, but only ACT supported the proposal.
Asked about the Tauranga by-election, which is being held on June 18 and whether or not he will become a candidate, Peters refused to answer.
"Let's not behave like Trevor Mallard and move the goal posts in the middle of the discussion or the middle of the game. That's not how the game is played," Peters said when pushed by Clarkson on whether he's throwing his hat in the ring.
He stood successfully in the electorate of Tauranga from 1984 to 2005 with National and then New Zealand First.
Peters refused to be drawn any more on the by-election, saying around laughter "thank you very much and you have a marvellous day."
"You're not going to deter me," Peters said, and spoke again about his intentions to oppose the trespass notice.
Simon Bridges announced in March he was stepping down as an MP after holding the Tauranga seat since 2008. He is set to deliver his valedictory speech in Parliament on Wednesday evening.
Current Internal Affairs Minister and former local primary school principal Jan Tinetti remains Labour's candidate, while ACT has put forward builder Cameron Luxton.
Sam Uffindel was announced last weekend as National's candidate.
Nominations for the by-election are due by May 17.
To contest a by-election, a candidate must be a New Zealand citizen, enrolled to vote and have been nominated by two people in the electorate where the by-election is being held.
A candidate can stand on behalf of a political party or as an independent.
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