A former high-ranking National Cabinet minister has doubts the coalition will last until the election, urging his former party to "extricate themselves from this grisly coalition and declare war on New Zealand First".
And Chris Finlayson has doubts the coalition, made up of National, NZ First and ACT, will make it to the election campaign intact.
Tensions between NZ First and National have risen this week, after NZ First leader Winston Peters' office released internal emails regarding New Zealand's stance on the US strikes against Iran. They showed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's preference was to support the US action. New Zealand ultimately did not express support, after Peters intervened.
Peters on Thursday said it was a mistake to release the emails without first speaking to Luxon's office. National accused Peters of putting politics "ahead of the national interest", and National deputy leader Nicola Willis called Peters "very, very confused".
Former National Cabinet minister and Attorney-General Chris Finlayson told Morning Report while he had no reason to doubt Peters that it was a "mistake", it was a "peculiar set of events".
"These are the sorts of exchanges that you would not expect to be released under the OIA because there's a carve-out for this kind of sensitive material.
"And also as to the process, well, it was appalling where you've got multiple ministers involved in the creation of emails and documents, you would expect their officers to be consulted. So he says it's a mistake. And there we have it."
He said he had "no time" for NZ First, calling the party "an excrescence".
Former foreign minister Phil Goff and former defence minister Wayne Mapp spoke to Breakfast about what they each think the coalition needs to do to survive. (Source: Breakfast)
"Every time any political party, any major political party deals with them, you get that sort of nonsense."
He said he agreed with former Labour Party Prime Minister Helen Clark that National and NZ First were "eating one another for votes".
"I have long maintained that when you're dealing with New Zealand First, things can go sour very quickly. They are, I think sometimes you refer to people as frenemies, but I wouldn't even go that far. I think they're the enemy. And I think the best thing the National Party can do is try and extricate themselves from this grisly coalition and declare war on New Zealand First…
"I wonder whether this thing will go full term. It just seems to me every time New Zealand First is in government, you get these kinds of sideshows. Are they acting in the public good, in the national interest? Well, I don't think they ever have.
"I think that people are sick of it... Are people interested in this sort of low-level stupidity? They're more interested in the cost of living, in airfares and questions like that."
Finlayson declined to comment on what the pros and cons a snap election would hold for National.
"Well, you see, I'm what you call a FIP, a formerly important person, totally washed up on those sorts of major strategic questions, you need really to talk to those who are actively involved in the arena at the present time."
'Caught napping'
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who had Peters as her foreign minister for a few years, believed his approach of being prudent and not weighing in on the US side was the right judgement.
Winston Peters releases correspondence on the issue, to the displeasure of Christopher Luxon. (Source: 1News)
But Clark said typically anyone who was a subject of material in an Official Information Act request — as Luxon was in this case — would be told.
"So sometimes it can be stuff up rather than conspiracy," she told RNZ's Nights.
But she questioned where the prime minister's department was in it all.
"It's a bit hard to believe that no one in Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet] knew that this request had been made," Clark said. "Why weren't they following up?"
"I think... people have been caught napping here."
Willis had confidence in the coalition's stability - but it came with a caveat: "As long as people uphold the principles of the coalition agreement."
National's campaign chair Simeon Brown said the coalition was in a good space, "but ultimately our message is that Mr Peters should not be putting politics ahead of the national interest. That's very clear."
Former National campaign chair Chris Bishop said the coalition was "a very stable thing, everyone said it would fall apart within a year and here we are six months out from the election and we're getting things done for New Zealand".
Former Foreign Minister Phil Goff told Midday Report on Thursday he believed Winston Peters was undermining National, calling the emails' release "no mistake".
"The fact Luxon [won't fire Peters] shows his weakness in relation to his coalition partner," Goff said.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a man’s arrested after the abduction and death of a young girl in Australia, and new road safety warnings amid a spike in deaths. (Source: 1News)
SHARE ME