Will's Word: Rise of Winston Peters

By the time the next election rolls around, Winston Peters will be 81.

Most people that age are retired, yet Peters is climbing in the polls.

The latest RNZ Reid Research survey has New Zealand First sitting pretty in third on 9.8 per cent, with Peters’ own preferred Prime Minister rating at 12.6 per cent.

It seems politics is as much about survival as it is about policy. And if survival is the game, Winston Peters might be the most durable player we’ve ever had.

He has had more comebacks than a cat has lives.

Time and again, he’s declared finished. Time and again, he proves everyone wrong, myself included.

Listen to Will's Word below.

Which is remarkable, considering how often he manages to frustrate both sides of the aisle. The left rolls their eyes. The right loses patience. Yet somehow, voters keep coming back for more.

I once asked him why he doesn’t simply retire and enjoy a quieter life, away from the constant grind of politics.

His answer stuck with me. He said slowing down would be boring and only make him age faster.

Say what you like about Winston Peters, and plenty of people do, but you cannot deny the work ethic. At an age when most are winding down, he’s still out there campaigning, travelling, fighting.

And it seems to be paying off, with Kiwis rewarding that grit.