Will's Word: Is New Zealand First making a play for Pacific votes?

Is Winston Peters seeking the Pacific vote this election?

I genuinely ask that. After seeing him receive Anae Arthur Anae's Pacific visa petition on Parliament's forecourt today, it's hard not to.

Hundreds gathered as the petition, which calls for some Pacific nationals to be granted a three-month visitor visa on arrival, was handed to the New Zealand First Leader.

For a party long known for taking a tough line on immigration, that moment mattered.

But if you listen to Pacific Mornings, you’ll know this didn’t come out of nowhere.

Peters has told me before he’s open to making it easier for Pacific families to travel here, especially in times of emergency. I still remember him saying, “The Pacific are our cousins. And cousins don’t rip each other off.”

Listen to Anae Arthur Anae's full interview on the petition below.

He was talking about the high costs and barriers our families face just to visit loved ones.

So was I surprised he warmly received the petition? No. And it's not a one-off.

New Zealand First backed the Sāmoan Citizenship Bill in 2024, restoring citizenship to a group of Sāmoans who had it stripped in the 1980s. Peters signalled his support early, even when it put him at odds with his coalition partner.

As Foreign Affairs Minister, he has leaned heavily into the Pacific. Yes, there has been tension with the Cook Islands. But across the region, Peters is widely respected. In some places, he is welcomed like a statesman.

I once asked former Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna about strained relations with New Zealand. Despite the politics, he told me he had immense respect for Winston Peters and considered him a friend.

That kind of reputation carries weight.

Mark Brown and Winston Peters in Rarotonga in February last year. Photo/Cook Islands News/Candice Luke

So in an election year, it’s fair to ask: is Winston Peters positioning New Zealand First as a real option for Pacific voters?

Labour has long been seen as the party of working families - the party of the underdog.

But Pacific values don’t sit neatly on the left or the right. We care about faith, family, respect for elders, opportunity, and prosperity.

The question now is whether New Zealand First is starting to speak more directly to those values.

It’s no longer far-fetched.

And if I were Labour, I’d be paying close attention.

That's Will's Word.