Poor Hobson’s Choice – Winston has conned them

Stuff reports:

The biggest block to a Labour-NZ First coalition could be removed, with Winston Peters hinting at a backdown on a Māori seat referendum.

In an interview with Australia’s Sky News on Wednesday, NZ First’s Winston Peters said the Māori Party had been “smashed” in the election.

Asked by Sky News whether Labour’s non-negotiable stance on a referendum could affect his promise, Peters said he initially wanted the people to decide. 

“It was written up as Peters’ opposed – he’s going to abolish the Māori seats – that’s not true. I said let’s have a referendum and let the people decide, and apparently some people don’t like democracy,” he said.

“The Māori Party itself are a race-based, origin of race party who got smashed in this election and it’s gone. 

“So some of the elements on which the promise was made have just changed, that’s all I can say.”

Hobson’s Choice endorsed Winston due to his non negotiable stance of a Maori seats referendum. Didn’t even survive a week after the election!

Here’s what he said in July:

“My strategy is to tell everybody out there that you won’t be talking to NZ First unless you want a referendum on both those issues at the mid-term mark of this election.”