October 11, 2017
ACT attention seeking with Maori portfolio attack
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is rejecting advice from ACT MP David Seymour to put an end to the role of Minister for Maori Affairs.
The drastic action is part of Mr Seymour's prescription to scale back cabinet to 20 ministers covering 35 portfolios.
He also claimed whichever major party offers Mr Peters the role of prime minister will get to form the next government.
Mr Peters says Mr Seymour had a job made for him in the last Government, but he has no role now.
"It's pretty rich when someone like that makes that comment but the reality is he is running around now, he was negatised by the National Party before the election was over. First thing they did was drop him. He suffers from a psychological condition called recognition hunger and I don't know why the media keeps wasting their time talking to him," he says.
Mr Peters says the coalition talks are about achieving a stable government for the next three years and beyond.
New Zealand First had four meetings scheduled today with National and Labour, with Mr Peters hoping to know by tomorrow who it should go with.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com