Media Release
18 October 2004

No Need For Early Election Says Peters

Rt Hon Winston Peters has described media speculation that there will be an early election as nonsense and he sees no reason why the next general election should be held any earlier than August or September 2005.

Mr Peters, who raised the issue of John Tamihere’s golden handshake from the Waipareira Trust in 1999, said that even if Labour lost a by-election for his seat, the Government should complete its three year term.

“New Zealanders do not like politicians playing around with election timetables. For better or worse this Labour minority government was elected for three years and the country should not have to face the expense of an extra election just because of John Tamihere.”

Mr Peters also said that it was interesting that the Act leader Rodney Hide was raising a fuss over people paying taxes because Act was a party which promoted the cause of people who were averse to paying taxes, such as the Winebox participants.

“Perhaps John Tamihere will receive an approach from Act to stand for that party.

“There’s an old saying that people who live in glass whares should not throw pipis,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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