Winston peters PC MP, known in Māori as Winitana Pita, was born on April 11, 1945. He is a prominent New Zealand politician who has led New Zealand First since its establishment in 1993. Peters has held key positions in the government, serving as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2017 to 2020. He also served as the minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2008 and 2017 to 2020, and as the treasurer of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998. Peters has been a Member of Parliament (MP) during various periods, from 1979 to 1981, 1984 to 2008, and 2011 to 2020.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 78 years
Height-5 feet 8 inch (approx.)
Weight-68 kg (approx.)
Born- 11 April 1945
Birth place- Whangārei, New Zealand
Full name-Winston Raymond Peters
Partner-Jan Trotman
Siblings-Ron Peters, Beverly Saward, Jim Peters, Ian Peters, MORE
Profession-Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand
Nationality- New Zealand
Family
His father belonged to the Ngāti Wai iwi, with ties to Ngāti Hine and Ngāpuhi, making him primarily Māori. On the other side, his mother hailed from Clan MacInnes, representing Scottish heritage. Notably, two of his brothers, Ian and Jim, have held positions as MPs, while another brother, Ron, has contested elections as a New Zealand First candidate.
Wife and Children
Peters was previously married to Louise, but they have since separated. They share two children, a son, and a daughter named Bree Peters, who is known for her work as an actress. His current partner is Jan Trotman.
Education
Following his education at Whangarei Boys’ High School and Dargaville High School, Peters pursued studies at the Auckland Teachers’ Training College. In 1966, he began teaching at Te Atatū Intermediate School in Auckland. However, the following year, he relocated to Australia, where he took on roles as a blast-furnace worker with BHP in Newcastle and later worked as a tunneler in the Snowy Mountains.
Career
In 1970, Peters came back to New Zealand and pursued studies in history, politics, and law at the University of Auckland. During his university years, he joined the New Zealand Young Nationals, the youth wing of the center-right New Zealand National Party. It was during this time that he became acquainted with individuals like Bruce Cliffe and Paul East, both of whom later served as Cabinet ministers in the Fourth National Government. Like his brothers Ron, Wayne, and Allan, Peters was actively involved in rugby, being a member of the University Rugby Club in Auckland and serving as the captain of the Auckland Māori Rugby team. He successfully graduated with a BA and LLB in 1973.
New Zealand First has advocated for more focused immigration policies, benefits for senior citizens, and socially conservative policies, while also criticizing the media and elitism. Winston Peters, the leader of New Zealand First, initially served as Minister of Māori Affairs in the Cabinet led by Jim Bolger’s National Party in 1990. However, he was dismissed from the post in 1991 after criticizing his own government’s economic and foreign ownership policies. Peters resigned from the National Party in 1993 to establish the populist party New Zealand First.
Under Peters’ leadership, New Zealand First held the balance of power after the 1996 election and formed a coalition with the National Party, securing Peters the positions of deputy prime minister and treasurer. The coalition dissolved in 1998, and in 1999, New Zealand First entered opposition. Peters returned to government in a coalition with Prime Minister Helen Clark’s Labour Party in 2005, serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs until 2008.
After a funding scandal in the 2008 general election, New Zealand First failed to reach the 5% threshold, leading to Peters and the party being out of Parliament. However, in the 2011 election, New Zealand First made a comeback, securing eight seats. The party gained 11 seats in the 2014 election and won nine seats in the 2017 election, with Peters serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in a coalition government with the Labour Party. Peters briefly acted as prime minister in 2018 during Jacinda Ardern’s maternity leave. In the 2020 election, New Zealand First again failed to reach the 5% threshold, resulting in Peters and the party leaving Parliament. However, in the 2023 election, Peters returned to Parliament with New Zealand First gaining eight seats and 6.46% of the vote.
Awards
- On May 21, 1998, Peters was granted the title “The Right Honourable” upon his appointment to the Privy Council.
- In 2007, he was honored with the chiefly Samoan title Vaovasamanaia, signifying “beautiful, handsome, awesome, delighted, and joyful.”
Net Worth 2023
Winston Peters’ estimated net worth is around $30 million.
Latest News about Winston Peters
Winston Peters Snubs Reporters after Election Confirmation
Following the release of the final election results, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has avoided inquiries from political reporters. He is the only coalition leader to have steered clear of media interactions since the Electoral Commission confirmed the updated results, which were influenced by the counting of 603,257 special votes. These results strengthened Peters and NZ First’s position for upcoming government negotiations.
The final outcome reduced two seats from the National party, hindering National leader Christopher Luxon’s ability to form a two-party coalition solely with ACT. Luxon now requires Peters’ support to govern. Both Luxon and Peters attended the Auckland Diwali Festival’s opening ceremony but declined to engage with reporters. When questioned about negotiation progress and other matters, Peters chose not to respond and even rebuked media outlets, including Stuff, instructing them to leave him alone. During the festival, Luxon acknowledged Peters from the stage but did not engage in negotiations there.
While Peters refrained from talking to mainstream media, he did converse with the fringe digital publication, The Platform, expressing his desire for all three coalition partners to collaborate.
