Former National Party campaign manager Steven Joyce says a hypothetical National-ACT-NZ First coalition might not make for strong government though it'd "survive".
Three polls in the last month have shown NZ First above the 5% threshold — though none of them have been commissioned by a major broadcaster.
Christopher Luxon has refused to rule out working with Winston Peters, but ACT has gone on the attack in the past week with ads targeting the political stalwart.
Last year, the NZ First leader ruled out ever working with Labour again. Meanwhile, Seymour has ruled out working with Peters if his MPs were given Cabinet positions.
Joyce, who was dubbed "minister of everything" in his time, told Q+A today that it was Luxon's job to "suss out" whether he should work with the seemingly indefatigable Peters.
"Winston is a likeable rogue, but I wouldn't like to back any of my future in any sense on Winston. I just wouldn't do it," he said.
The party is sitting on 3% in the latest 1News Verian poll. (Source: 1News)
"He's out for number one, and that's fine, but you got to take a grain of salt, anything he says ahead of an election compared to afterwards.
"If people want to vote for him after that, well, that's fine."
The former Cabinet "Mr Fix-It" released his new memoir about his political career this week. In 2017, Joyce worked with NZ First as part of coalition negotiations which eventually saw Peters enter into an arrangement with Labour and the Greens.
On Q+A, he was asked whether a Luxon-Seymour-Peters coalition would work.
"I'm sure it would. Would it be strong government? Hmm-maybe, maybe not. But people have a funny way — there's a limit to how much you can use history to guide the future.
"Some of it is important, but ultimately, whatever happens after the election will happen.
"We'll just have to see what happens," Joyce said.
"Why are we putting up with this bulldust?" Winston Peters asked supporters during his address in Howick. (Source: 1News)
Three polls have shown Winston Peters' party just on the margins of getting back into Parliament above the 5% threshold. The latest 1News Kantar Public Poll carried out a month ago showed NZ First at 3%, holding steady amid the party's comeback campaign.
A Curia poll commissioned by the Taxpayers Union lobby group this week showed the party at around 6%, whilst the first opinion poll commissioned by The Guardian international newspaper showed NZ First at around 5%.
Two weeks ago, NZ First was suggested to be sitting squarely on 5% by Australian pollster Roy Morgan — which regularly polls the New Zealand electorate.
The polls have triggered speculation about a potential National-NZ First coalition come October with fewer than 50 days to go until the first votes are cast.
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