Election 2017

Winston Peters blows a fuse on the air

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was joined by Morning Report's Guyon Espiner for RNZ's series of party leader interviews in what turned out to be a heated and revelatory episode less than two weeks out from the September 23 election.

Watch the full interview in the player above, courtesy of RNZ

The interview set out to be an examination of the policy costings posted on NZ First's website, but as the conversation progressed Peters went on the offensive against Espiner - getting personal when the host asked about a policy for first-home buyers.

"That's what this country once did before geniuses like you decided the economic revolution would turn this country upside down," said Peters.

"It's your ideas that have destroyed people's hopes in this country. I think your ideas are preposterous, they're stupid, they're ridiculous, and I can't understand why you're arguing about it."

The leader went into further meltdown when Espiner asked him plainly: "What do you want?"

A quizzical Peters replied: "What do you mean? What do you mean by a statement like that, ten days out from the election? What do you mean?"

"It's a question," responded Espiner. "What do you want?"

"What do you need, what do you want, what do I get?", Peters replied in a sing-song.

The leader said he had no bottom-lines going into the election.

Those, he said, were for the media to create.