News 7,283 views since yesterday

Peters calls Bishop endorsement respect, not a deal

In RNZ's MATA interview, the New Zealand First leader defends urging Hutt South voters to support National's candidate rather than his own.

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RNZ Story of October 30, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of RNZ's most watched videos since yesterday, with 7,283 views.

Peters explains why he urged Hutt South voters to back Bishop | MATA

Winston Peters acknowledges telling Hutt South voters to back Chris Bishop. What he rejects is the suggestion that the endorsement amounts to a deal with National.

In a studio exchange on RNZ's MATA, the interviewer asks why Peters recommended Bishop over New Zealand First's own candidate, Alistair Boyce. Peters says he regards Bishop as an unusually capable MP and insists the recommendation was his own initiative.

"One more time, it's not a deal. It's a statement of respect," Peters says. Of Bishop, he adds: "He didn't even know I was making it."

The distinction matters in New Zealand's electoral system, where voters choose an electorate representative separately from their preferred party. Supporting Bishop for the local seat need not mean giving National a party vote. Bishop has represented Hutt South since winning it back at the 2023 election.

The interviewer presses Peters on whether directing supporters towards another party's candidate is nevertheless a political strategy. He rejects that description too, calling it "just a common sense statement."

The excerpt drew roughly 7,300 views since yesterday, making it RNZ's most watched new upload over that period.

Peters also offers a precedent for his decision: he says the only other time he made such an endorsement was when he backed Kelvin Davis over Hone Harawira.

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