WIRES:

Parliament and Peters Still Hangs On The Specials

Wednesday, 8 December 1999, 12:20 am
Article: Jonathan Hill

The Greens have made it with six MPs into parliament but the future of NZ First and party leader Winston Peters still hangs in the balance.

Counting of specials in Peters’ seat of Tauranga is underway with some 3700 votes to be counted. Peters won the seat with just over 300 votes clear of National MP Katherine O’Regan.

If Peters loses Tauranga on the specials all five NZ First MPs – including Peters – will be out of parliament. NZ First failed to cross the five per cent threshold on election night, coming in with 4.3 per cent.

The Greens arrival in parliament has already stripped NZ First of one MP and if he loses in Tauranga Labour and the Alliance will get MPs back to allow them to govern without depending on Green support.

Right now the Labour / Alliance coalition has 60 seats – one short of a majority – and needs the support of the Greens.

The Tauranga result is due mid afternoon today.

ends

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