Media Release
8 October 2001
Leadership Change Inevitable - Peters
The Rt Hon Winston Peters MP, Leader of New Zealand First, tonight said that Jenny Shipley stepping down from the
leadership of the National Party was inevitable and the really astonishing thing is that it took so long – especially
considering the fact that Mrs Shipley lead the National Party to its worst electoral result since the Party’s formation
in 1936.
“This proves that Mrs Shipley was never fit for the job in the first place and allowed her inflated ego to collapse a
coalition and obtain a job she could not do. The honourable thing would have been for Mrs Shipley to have resigned after
the last election.
“The truth is the National Party remains leaderless given the serious lack of its policy and vision in the 21st Century.
This leadership change alters nothing,” said Mr Peters.
ENDS