Winston Peters calls 78-year-old critic 'memory-impaird' in Papakura speech

NZ First leader Winston Peters told a 78-year-old woman she must have memory problems after she criticized the party's performance on the cost of living. The exchange took place during a public meeting in Papakura on Saturday, where Peters finished an hour-long address urging voters to withhold support from the National Party.

Peters read the woman's social media post aloud to the crowd. She identified herself as Wendy and described managing on a single pension as a joke. The post cited rising food and electricity costs, declining house values, and reduced access to healthcare. It ended with the question, "WHAT HAS NEW ZEALAND FIRST DONE FOR ME?" written in capital letters.

Peters reacted by suggesting the woman's age explained her oversight. "I thought to myself, 'Lady, you're 78 and you've obviously got memory problems'," he said, prompting laughter from the audience. He then detailed a list of policies he attributed to his party's time in government with National over the last three years.

The leader highlighted the abolition of the superannuation surtax as the primary achievement. "A party called New Zealand First got rid of it, abolished the whole lot, that's No.1," Peters said. He also pointed to the Gold Card scheme, hearing-aid support, and assistance with winter power bills as key benefits for seniors.

Peters argued that his party had kept the pension age at 65 and opposed means-testing. He told the audience that other parties would neglect older citizens when political difficulties arose. "One party's been defending the old people of this country, even when its leader was young, thank you very much," he stated. He framed the meeting as a way to ensure Wendy had clear information before casting her vote.