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Leader's Letter
March 2003
Leader's Report
This is going to be a great year for New Zealand First. It is our tenth birthday in July and we will be celebrating it, particularly in Parliament where your MPs are performing strongly.
Too many things are going wrong in our society. The Government is obsessed with issues that do not reflect our
traditional values. It is not confronting the serious problems facing the country and relies on its public relations machine to promote the image that it is in control. It is our task on the Opposition benches to point out these shortcomings and to suggest other approaches.
The number of immigrants coming into the country has reached the level of an invasion. The minister does not know who is coming, who is going or what they are doing when they get here! Official figures show that more than 70,000 non–New Zealanders came here to stay last year but we are convinced that there were thousands more. This is because the method of counting is open to mistakes and to manipulation by immigrants.
Lawlessness continues unchecked and police numbers are down. Many officers cannot take their leave because of their
extra work. The number of offences solved by police is just over 40 percent. This is not good enough and is a result of overworked and stressed police officers. New Zealand First will be announcing major initiatives for policing very soon.
We are continuing our campaign to keep New Zealand a nation of one people and stopping the government’s insidious moves towards separate development.
Our laws must always be fair and just for all New Zealanders. We cannot have separate systems for different races. Countries where there has been separate treatment for different races or religions are invariably torn apart by
sectarian intolerance, hatred and violence.We must not let it happen here.
The Treaty industry is thriving under this government, while Maori at the bottom of the heap continue to produce unhappy statistics relating to health, housing, employment, education and crime. Solutions are not hard to find. The most important is employment and this is what the government should be working on - not politically correct waffle and separate political systems.
We are living in a world that is becoming increasingly dangerous. We cannot ignore the rest of the world but we should not get caught in the international campaigns unless all efforts to obtain a United Nations sanction have been exhausted.
The economic storm clouds are also gathering. New Zealand has been buoyed by good farm production, good weather and a low exchange rate. This situation is changing rapidly. We desperately need an export plan to boost our exports but little is happening in official circles.
New Zealand First will continue to press for policies that promote national prosperity and social cohesion. Remember that we pledged to fix three things in three years and we will not waver from that commitment.
Rt Hon Winston Peters
MP for Tauranga
LEADER NEW ZEALAND FIRST
New Zealand First President
One of my unlisted hobbies is to watch other political parties and observe the ebb and flow of their fortunes. As politics is also my career this hobby is a necessity and can be indulged in first hand.
Even though you would not know it by a casual observation of Parliament at question time, discipline is an absolutely key ingredient in the fortunes of a political party.
The very first, barely detectable signs of any lack of discipline are what to look for when trying to ascertain the weakness of rival parties. Act, the so-called champion of integrity and fairness, is up to its ears in accusations
of impropriety and boarish behaviour in public.
Political parties cannot afford this sort of negative publicity – it hurts!
Labour is now building an unfortunate list of Ministerial blunders that are becoming increasingly noticeable. The latest of these is John Tamahere who was always going to be a problem child.
National has about half a dozen spokespersons on every subject with each one holding a different view. At least three alternative leaders are being proposed at any one time.
The Greens are still protesting even against our Australian brothers and sisters. They should remember that Aussies are like family and we have to stick together.
United is quiet and to be honest they are still showing good discipline. However they are being treated as a doormat by Labour.
The point to be taken from all of this is that it creates great opportunities for New Zealand
First.
We must stay disciplined ourselves in the face of temptations to comment on everything. We must concentrate on building strong electorate structures.
We must raise as much money as we possibly can to fight the next election. But most of all we want our members to be supportive. Participate in the party at electorate meetings where you can. Attend one of our many functions, be it a garage sale or a coffee morning with one of our MPs speaking. Your presence helps us immensely. Remember that good news spread by word of mouth is the most powerful communication.
Doug Woolerton MP
President New Zealand First
The Parliamentary Team
From left
Dail Jones, Craig McNair, Ron Mark, Edwin Perry, Bill Gudgeon, Rt Hon Winston Peters, Peter Brown,
Doug Woolerton, Brent Catchpole, Barbara Stewart, Pita Paraone, Hon Brian Donnelly, Jim Peters
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