NZ First bets on nationalism to grow its political revival

Saturday, 18 July 2026

NZ First leader Winston Peters and his wife Jan Trotman sitting at the back of the party’s annual conference on Saturday.

ANALYSIS: You didn’t have to be at NZ First’s party conference this weekend to hear about - or even see - it.

You could watch it live on Facebook or YouTube from the comfort of your own home.

“I don't think any political party's ever done a full live stream of a convention,” stream host and MP Jenny Marcroft told the Sunday Star-Times.

NZ First just hit go on its election campaign - trumpeting itself as a “nationalist”, “patriotic”, “socially conservative” and “common sense” movement at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau on Saturday.

Polling indicates support for the party has risen, though leader Winston Peters would say it’s even more popular than people realise.

The NZ First convention in Auckland this weekend was livestreamed, with George Ngati and Jenny Marcroft acting as show hosts.

“We're doing better in the polls than you think,” he told members on Saturday.

He was, of course, preaching to the converted. The 350-odd delegates that turned out for the convention had paid to be there and eagerly cheered on the party’s push to withdraw from the Paris Accord and ignore the World Health Organization’s pandemic rule changes.

“NZ First is listening to the people,” one delegate said.

“Everyone else is top down, saying the government's going to make the rules for the people and you're going to obey them, whereas New Zealand First is saying, what do the people want, and what do people see for their country? That's what we are. We’re populist, we’re nationalist.”

Another delegate believed major parties like National had left the working class behind.

“We're resonating with the ordinary, hard-working Kiwi battlers, particularly in the rural areas of the country.

“We have a lot of traditional National voters who are turned off by National embracing climate alarmism.”

Jan Trotman and NZ First leader Winston Peters.

The cost of living, immigration and family values came up again and again when the Star-Times talked to members.

“New Zealand First is the only socially conservative nationalist party and so the New Zealand people are therefore flocking to the party,” one delegate said.

NZ First is pushing to play a greater force in the next government, rolling out a slew of high profile candidates like former All Blacks captain Taine Randell (Tukituki) and former mayor and broadcaster Michael Laws (Waitaki).

The party has also pulled familiar political names: former National minster Alfred Ngaro (Glendene), former Labour minister Stuart Nash (Napier) and former National MP Harete Hipango (Whanganui) - and the list is growing.

Long-time National supporter Martin Gummer is standing for NZ First in Epsom - ACT leader David Seymour’s seat - and former Labour ministers Rino Tirikatene and Dover Samuels have now signed up as NZ First members.

Former Labour minister Stuart Nash has joined NZ First.

Gummer said National didn’t have the solutions to the country’s problems anymore.

“I think the time’s come. I sort of view the current National Party as very orthodox, political, professional class, and I think New Zealand First provides a more sort of focused drive on issues like energy and manufacturing. More pragmatic, bolder,” he said.

“I still want to see a centre-right government, but I think NZ First provides that extra momentum on the issues that count.”

Nash - sacked by Labour after breaching the Cabinet manual - said he had given up on his former party.

“Make no bones about it, New Zealand First has become the natural successor to the Labour movement that spawned the Labour Party. New Zealand First is the only party that puts New Zealand and New Zealanders first and that is why I am here today.”

Ngaro - washed out in the red tide of the 2020 election before forming his own party NewZeal last election - said he joined NZ First because National has become too liberal.

“The truth is, this is not waka jumping, this is not jumping to another party. This is following the values that are true to who we are as Kiwis.”

A key source of concern running through the convention was that the country simply isn’t what it used to be - and only New Zealand First knows how to set it right again.

How this problem presented itself varied depending on who you asked. Food and power were too expensive, “family values” were being eroded and immigrants were driving “cultural decay”.

The party has already promised to campaign on splitting up the power gentailers into separate generators and retailers, breaking up the supermarket duopoly and making KiwiSaver compulsory at birth, with a $1000 government contribution for citizens.

It also wants to restrict voting to citizens, hold a referendum on the Māori seats, set up a special economic zone with less red tape at Marsden Point and buy back the Bank of New Zealand.

Peters - who’s due to announce more policy on Sunday - said it was “now or never to turn this country around”.

“This weekend is about how we build, as a party, our country back to the greatness it once was. It's about the economy, the cost of power pricing, grocery bills that are troubling many households.

“We simply have to take that on head-on…because there's only one party that's got the economic theory that's backed up by the funds to support it.”

NZ First showcased its work this term at this weekend’s convention; claiming victories by way of new fast-track laws, the regional infrastructure fund and legislation to define a woman in law.

This ‘coalition report’ was presented by NZ First’s MPs including Marcroft, who praised Peters for negotiating the party’s deal with National.

“Our coalition agreement is a work of art. It shows what a political strategist, Winston, and our political team are, because everything in that document means something to making New Zealand a better place to live.”

Peters said his party contributed “more than just a series of policy wins” to the New Zealand political system - pitching the sale of an ideology, more than any one specific policy.

“Impressive though they are, above all, everyone knows New Zealand First is New Zealand, and for New Zealand, 150%. We are not globalists. We're not driven by international trends and all sorts of fads and run by bureaucracies overseas who are not even elected. We're nationalists, and we're proud of it, with a capital N.”

NZ First clearly believes it has identified a growing bloc of disillusioned voters who feel ignored by the political mainstream; people worried about the cost of living, sceptical of climate policy and immigration settings, and frustrated things aren’t quite what they used to be.

Whether that message resonates beyond the party conference may well become one of the defining questions of the election campaign.

“New Zealand First has a game plan,” Peters said.

“We've got the players and we've got the strategy. We've got news for our opponents, and it's all bad.”