Katikati deserves better was the thrust of Northland MP and NZ First leader Winston Peters' argument when he spoke in Katikati on Sunday.

He pledges to build a bypass around Katikati if NZ First was elected to government.

Speaking in the War Memorial Hall, Winston told the audience National has 'fobbed you off” in regards to a bypass.

'Transport Minister Simon Bridges has asked the NZTA to take another look at the Katikati section because the NZTA does not support a bypass,” says Winston.

'Why didn't he tell the NZTA to get on with the job instead?”

He alleges 'if the government had seized the initiative years ago” the bypass would be in place.

'It hasn't been… you deserve better.”

'So still the question is: how long are you prepared to wait for the bypass?”

He points to his infrastructure achievements in Tauranga – such as tar-sealed motorways and the toll-free harbour bridge – as evidence of NZ First's success.

As well as the bypass, he discussed 'the true state of the economy” and the recent Kaikoura earthquake, stating the government was unprepared in both areas.

'A public inquiry into the overall state of New Zealand's resilience to major natural disaster, with broad cross-party support, would be appropriate,” says Winston.

In regards to the economy, he says immigration has skewed the nation's real growth, and Prime Minister John Key's assurances the country is in ‘good shape' are false.

'Given that our nominal growth rate of 2.8 per cent owes about 2 per cent to massive immigration, which has brought with it huge demand problems particularly in Auckland, the Prime Minister's assurances are based on political propaganda and not reality.”

He concluded his speech by asking, 'The National Party has had Tauranga for the last 11 years. Can anybody show me what Simon Bridges and National have done?”