David Seymour has been sworn in as New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, replacing Winston Peters under the coalition agreement.
Both men used the handover to assert political freedom and sharpen their party strategies ahead of 2026.
Seymour downplayed the shift in power but made clear he won’t be moderating his tone in the new role. “I certainly won’t be losing my freedom to think and to speak,” he said. Asked if the job would change him, Seymour replied, “I’m astonished you believe my tone would need moderation.”
He dismissed the prime minister’s suggestion that the role was “largely ceremonial.”
“He doesn’t think it’s ceremonial when he leaves the country and relies on you to act for him,” Seymour quipped.
Winston Peters signaled his intention to go on a nationwide campaign blitz and said NZ First will be “better prepared than we’ve ever been.” The foreign minister also plans to reduce international travel after visiting 44 countries in 18 months.
Both leaders shrugged off speculation of an early election. Seymour called it a fringe fantasy promoted by “the complete Looney Tunes in the Greens and Te Pāti Māori and their enablers in Labour,” adding “there’s only about 60 odd people in New Zealand – and they are odd people – who would benefit from an early election.”
Centrist Ltd.