Coalition tensions rise: NZ First not informed of PM's confidence vote, Willis accuses Peters of 'mischief making'

Tensions are high between NZ First and National after deputy National leader Nicola Willis accused Winston Peters of "mischief making" to court voters. Her comments followed criticism from Peters who warned of "predictable consequences" after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's confidence vote on Tuesday. 

Peters on RNZ this morning said the confidence vote called for by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was “unprecedented.”

“When I looked at it and I said, there's going to be consequences, there’s hugely… predictable consequences.

"But what I was astonished by was that they didn't seem to understand, sadly, what they were doing. And here we are part of the coalition where stability of government all the way to the 2026 election [and] beyond, is the critical component. And this is not helpful."

Peters was not informed that the Prime Minister was putting a confidence motion to his MPs.

Asked if he should have under the no surprises clause in the coalition agreement, Peters said it would have been wise to.

“You're asking the question is on a legal basis, but in the plain… ambit of human relations and cooperation, the answer is, of course, yes.”

It leaves Peters; "being concerned… but making one thing darn clear, you guys can carry on doing what you darn well like, but our job is to provide stability for the New Zealand people who are fighting price rises, fuel prices, supermarket, power pricing, that's what New Zealand's are concerned about.”

A vote for Winston Peters 'invites further instability'

In response to Peters’ comments, National deputy Nicola Willis, also speaking on RNZ, said: “I'll tell you what invites further instability, a vote for Winston Peters that could result in a Labour, Te Pāti Māori, Green government, and all he is doing is courting votes and trying to cause mischief that way.”

Peters in January was asked if he would work with Labour, and said, “we’re never going back there again.”

Willis said Peters was “just mischief making.”

“There was an emphatic affirmation of support for the Prime Minister and the leadership and what he's doing. And it's very transparent.

“All [Peters is] saying [is] vote for New Zealand First. Now, that's his job. My job is to say vote for National and I am pointing out that the risk with a vote for New Zealand First is it's a risk to prop up a Labour-led government…”

“So he's made his pitch. I'm making mine.”

ACT leader David Seymour said on Tuesday he was pleased to see National stable and; "drawing a line under any trouble they may have had, because we've got a lot of work to do through this fuel crisis we need to fix what matters, which for me, is the cost of living."