NZ First to hold joint caucus/board meeting on Monday
NZ First board members will be flying in from across the country.
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Hawke’s Bay
NZ First leader Winston Peters has revealed his party will be holding an all-day joint-caucus meeting on Monday to discuss which major party will be receiving its support.
NZ First board members will be flying in from across the country on Sunday evening to meet on Monday.
Asked if the meetings would take long, he said: "Well they're booked in for the night if we have to. If we've done enough work, the consideration that [will be] happening on Monday should take far less time than what we're doing [with the work] we're involved with now.”
This does not mean NZ First will have an announcement ready on Monday, however.
“It’s extraordinarily difficult to meet timelines, particularly on this matter that if you are jamming a timeline against a public statement of a date, and you compromise the quality of your decision, that would not be a very good idea – but we know time is of the essence.”
He says he is aiming to have an announcement ready much sooner than the end of next week.
“The quicker we make it, the fewer chances [there] are of it being leaked.”
Last night, following his last negotiation meeting after a week of talks with National and Labour, Mr Peters confirmed he would decide on which party he would back for government by the end of next week.
This followed Mr Peters pushing back the day his board would meet.
It had previously been thought it would meet today but Mr Peters torpedoed that suggestion yesterday, after meeting with National.
Asked if that means a decision will come next week, he said: “That’s not what I said.”
“I said it depends on the logistical availability of the board – that could be Saturday, Sunday or Monday.”
He says he will “know that before too long” but stressed the meeting is contingent on the availability of the board.
Jason Walls
Fri, 13 Oct 2017
Fri, 13 Oct 2017
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NZ First to hold joint caucus/board meeting on Monday
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