Winston Peters endorses National's Chris Bishop over NZ First's Hutt South candidate

Winston Peters has told his supporters in the Hutt South electorate to vote for National candidate Chris Bishop, because he could be out of Parliament if he doesn't win the seat.

"Your electorate vote decides who represents the Hutt. Your party vote decides the balance of power in Parliament," he told a packed public meeting in Lower Hutt on Wednesday evening.

As the overhang strategy - a deliberate attempt to create extra seats for either the left or right bloc - gathers momentum, the New Zealand First leader has continued to tell his voters a party vote for National would be a waste.

Peters has encouraged them to select the appropriate candidate in their electorate, and in this case, while acknowledging it was "rare to say across the political divide", he's suggested Bishop was a "cut above" the usual National MP.

He emphasised that didn't mean an endorsement for National, rather, it was about making it clear "who should represent New Zealand".

On current polling, Bishop, like other senior National ministers, is at risk of not making it back into Parliament if he doesn't win an electorate.

While big funders have proposed a candidate-only strategy to encourage the overhang, National has explicitly rejected the strategy and consistently called for "two ticks blue".

Both ACT and NZ First - which would reap increased party votes from the one-tick strategy, at National list MPs' expense - have endorsed the idea.

Speaking to reporters after his speech and question time, Peters said Bishop's work on RMA reform in particular showed he's a capable member of and "serious contributor" to cabinet.

Peters said sometimes "you look across Parliament" at other parties and see people with real talent and ability.

"Unlike the claims of many political parties, people with real skills, insider knowledge and experience are not abundant in Parliament.

"So something like that would be a loss."

It's the second time Peters, as leader, has endorsed a candidate in another party, the first being Labour's Kelvin Davis in 2014. He said he had no plans to make any other endorsements this campaign.

Alistair Boyce is New Zealand First's candidate for the Hutt South seat, he is 35 on the list, and unlikely to make it into Parliament on the party's current polling.

Boyce told RNZ he and Bishop had their "cup of tea" moment last week. Boyce joked that Bishop wouldn't endorse the New Zealand First party vote in return.

"Bish won't get in with the overhang. National haven't got enough party votes, they're all wasted. The only way he'll get in is as the candidate for Hutt South.

"We're all about the party vote. We believe in the overhang. If we can get Bish in, it'll benefit us."

Boyce acnkowledged it wasn't realistic "at all" he himself would get into Parliament.

"There's not a chance at 35 getting into parliament. That's not a consideration.

"The consideration is the best thing and the right thing to do for our country, and for the makeup of the strong coalition government."

Bishop told RNZ he welcomed support from everyone.

"I'll be working hard for as many votes as possible everyday until November 7."

Public meetings coming to an end

Peters has been travelling the country holding public meetings throughout the year, and is nearing the end of his tour.

Outside the venue were Palestinian flags and banners calling for sanctions on Israel, with one man calling out the protests through a megaphone as people entered. One woman called back, saying "f**king worry about the Māoris mate".

The speech to the Hutt South crowd touched on similar issues he had raised at other meetings: immigration, the Covid-19 pandemic, strategic voting, growing the economy, co-governance, his criticisms of other political parties, and his criticisms of the media - which drew plenty of jeers.

"I have never been so disgusted with the presentation to you of today's political issues, it's a depressing circumstance," he told the packed room of more than 450 people.

On the size of the crowd, Peters said the last time the prime minister was there (at a public meeting he held with Bishop), "there was half the size that's here now tonight".

"But you won't read that in the paper tomorrow, will you?"

RNZ reported in August there were about 250 people at the public meeting with Christopher Luxon and Bishop.

There were only two disturbances during the night, with one man who had been doing a Nazi salute at the back of the room throughout the meeting was escorted out. Peters told him to "naff off".

Another woman caused more of a scene, shouting about her concerns over what she claimed was a home invasion that had been covered up. Peters was more forceful in telling security to "get her out of here" as she continued to interrupt the meeting.

Later, Peters was asked about them and he said they were there to disrupt and didn't care about the audience who had a legal right to ask questions and be heard.

"They are putting themselves above everybody else, and I don't want their support," he said about those who were escorted out.

RNZ spoke to some in attendance after the meeting, though some people declined the opportunity.

One woman said Peters had run the meeting "so extremely well" and she really admired him, adding that he was quick and confident with what he was talking about.

Another woman said there was an "amazing number of people" there.

Neither were regular New Zealand First supporters. "I just wanted to see him in person," one said.

"I have voted for him in the past. There's a chance again, because I think he's a very strong person, and I just like his common sense," the other said.