Media Release
12 June 2001
Too late for the Alliance - Peters
The Rt Hon Winston Peters MP, Leader of New Zealand First, today said it was too late for Jim Anderton to start standing
up for his former Alliance supporters now after being a virtual silent partner in the Coalition Government since
Election Day 1999 .
“As much as Mr Anderton says he intends to drive a harder bargain with his Labour Party coalition partner, without a
detailed coalition agreement he and his Alliance colleagues don’t have a leg to stand on. They threw away their chance
when they had it and trashed their supporters in the process.
“The time for the Alliance to move on health, education and employment was before they signed their coalition agreement
with Labour – not 18 months down the track.
“Mr Anderton has every right to panic knowing that coalition partners of the future will be judged on the economic and
social policies they deliver to New Zealand. That kind of scrutiny will expose any Alliance gains as miniscule,” said Mr
Peters.
ENDS