After the sacking, Peters

still haunts Bolger

By Lito Vilisoni

HE may have been demoted, but he certainly hasn't been silenced. If anything, rebel Kiwi MP Winston Peters' sting is sharper. Dropped from Cabinet in October by Prime Minister Jim Bolger for ignoring calls to toe the partv line to help present an united and stable government. Peters has kept up the heat as he promised.

In November, in Britain, lie cast a shadow over Bolger s official visit when he attacked the Govern ment's economic policies as harsh and uncaring in a speech to the London School of Business. On his return home, he severely wounded Bolger when pensioners at an Auckland rally gave him a stand ing ovation befitting a party leader after he denounced National's promise of a ’decent societv" as PR fluff.

Peters' demotion to the backbenches was inevitable. In fact, in mam eyes, it was long overdue. For months, he'd skated on thin ice making veiled snipes at Bolger and finance minister Ruth Richardson, then playing the inno cent.

Vet. many were shocked when it happened. Auckland's air waves were clogged with calls of support, with callers weeping openly on the Maori station.

Aotearoa. the afternoon it was an nounced. A delegation of 300, led by

96-year-old Dame Whina Cooper,

marched on Parliament in the hope of getting him reinstated, but to no avail.

Maoridom has mourned Peters' de motion most. Not all gave their support to him when he became minister, but quick and capable wooing soon per suaded critics and fence-sitters he was their best chance of political gain. In fact, it was Peters' successful coup with the ambitious Ka Awatea report a develop ment plan to improve the ills afflicting Maoris Peters ambushed the Gov ern ment into approving it which really convinced them he could, indeed, lead them into the 21st Century.

Now. with Peters stripped off the Maori Affairs portfolio, where Maoridom and Ka Awatea go from here is uncertain. His replacement, Doug Kidd, is a Pakeha, and some worry he doesn't have Peters' vision. Vet, others are only too glad Peters got the boot.

One of them is Sir Graham Latimer, Maori Council chairman and Maori vice-president of the National Party.

Sir Graham and Peters locked horns over a deal by a Maori and Hawaiian consortium to buy the Quality Inns hotels for NZSSS million shortly before the sacking. In the post-mortem, Peters’ allies blamed Sir Graham for forcing Bolgers hand. Sir Graham and Peters warred publicly over the latter’s claim that the deal, in which Sir Graham represented one of the Maori parties, would cost taxpayers, and was secured without proper legal authority. Peters was referring to a decision by Maori Trustee Neville Baker fhe was sacked and then reinstated after a legal wrangle) to guarantee a NZSIO million loan to the group.

Later, Sir Graham apparently said Peters had done ‘nothing’ for Maoridom in his time as minister. He’s also said to have told Bolger Maori people wondered if he had the courage to sack Peters.

A report has since supported some of Peters’ concerns, but critics question his motives for mauling the venture, aimed

at establishing Maori in the tourisn industry and providing many jobs, si publicly. Many claim his fervour (Peter called for an inquiry, saying the deal wa a ‘tragedy’ for Maoridom) stemmed fron the desire to score politically, (other thai concern for Maoridom).

Associate professor of Maori Studies a

Auckland University, Dr Ranginu

Walker, says the criticism is valid. But, h says, Peters has never pretended that h stood for anything other than “equity’' Walker sees a great future for Peters Like others, he thinks Peters’ best bet i to sit tight and wait for the righ opportunity to take him back into th front row of politics. Even better, to th head of the party.

W alker believes the Bolger leadershi] will crumble and the “National Part will turn to Winston Peters to save it.

If polls arc to be believed, Peters supporters should get their wish. Poll taken after his sacking showed mos Kiwis thought Bolger was wrong t dump him, and that Peters was th

preferred leader by a huge margin.

Some of the many who’d like to se Peters lead the country must include th 1 700 pensioners who flocked to hear hiri in October. The pensioners, bitter!

opposed to planned superannuation cuts

gave him a thunderous welcome and standing ovation befitting a prime min ister, an image cemented in a photo graph the country's biggest paper ran 01 its front page the next day.

The tableau of a bewildered Peter looking up at the huge crowd on its feel drew one radio talkback fan to say: “It’ the stuff which makes prime ministers. 1 Peters, who’s always appeam stronger than Bolger, seems to be th “answer” for many disillusioned Kiwis They see him as the man to unite Nev Zealand in tough economic times, and : man who truly listens to the people.

“Politicians have become a law unti themselves,” says George Drain, presi dent of the New Zealand Superan nuitants Federation. “He’s the excep tion. And he certainly doesn’t lad intestinal fortitude.”

Drain says what impresses him mos about Peters is his vision. “There’s on statement he made that I really agre with, and that’s, ‘There’s only one rac in New Zealand, and that’s New Zeai landers’.”

Asked if he thought Peters coulc succeed Bolger, he said: “There’s ; general consensus that he will becom prime minister, but it won’t be prim minister of a National Party. It will haw to be another party. Whether that’' wishful thinking, or considered thinking I don’t know.”

Peters’ reply to the same question oi television was: “Anything can happen ii

politics.” I

Winston Peters: a Prime Minister one day?