Former National minister Alfred Ngaro will stand as a candidate for New Zealand First in this year’s election, an announcement made ahead of Winston Peters’ State of the Nation speech.

However, it didn’t quite go to plan with some in the audience unaware who he was and Ngaro had to introduce himself following his short speech, after someone called out: “Who are you?”

Peters also confirmed the party would campaign on splitting the energy gentailers, a position NZ First deputy Shane Jones has long pushed for and promised to campaign on.

Peters hosted the event at the Atrium Conference Centre, also a site of the C3 City Church, in the Tauranga suburb of Otūmoetai, drawing about 1000 people.

Ngaro addressed the crowd before Peters, announcing his impending candidacy.

Unfortunately for Ngaro, he didn’t introduce himself at the start of his speech and had to say his name when several in the crowd asked who he was.

Energy was one of Peters’ key themes, confirming NZ First would campaign on splitting up the energy gentailers (generators and retailers) so “they can no longer control both the power and the price”.

Peters and Jones in particular had long criticised the gentailers. Jones has already promised the party would campaign on breaking them up.

“The big four power companies control almost 90% of the electricity generation and then sell it back to themselves,” Peters said.

“That makes it very difficult for innovative and low-cost retailers to enter the market – which means prices stay high.”

Peters said he would guarantee long-term, fixed-price contracts for new-build generation projects to give investors certainty.

“It will mean more power stations. More renewable energy. More competition. More resilience.

“If you generate power at home like solar, you should be able to sell it back to the grid at the same price you pay for it.”

Other topics canvassed by Peters included his opposition to Fonterra’s decision to sell its consumer and associated businesses to Lactalis, the India free trade deal, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid pandemic, criticism of suggestions New Zealand should sell off assets including its Air New Zealand shares, and the World Health Organisation.

Former National MP Alfred Ngaro.

Peters spent some time taking shots at his political rivals, particularly those on the left with sections of his speech dedicated to Labour, the Green Party and Te Pāti Māori.

However, he did include criticism of National, repeating comments he had made in previous speeches, referencing parties that promised to resolve the cost-of-living crisis.

“We have been open – and when other parties at the last election said that they could fix it within three years – we said that was a mistake, we knew the damage done to the economy by the previous Labour Government couldn’t be undone in three years.

Peters accepted the economy “isn’t where it should be”, pointing to the Middle East conflict between US-Israel and Iran.

“And yet stability in the Middle East is likely to be restored more quickly than New Zealand’s economic return to recovery.”

The venue’s main room had capacity for 600 people, with space for about 200 in two overflow rooms.

Prior to the event, the party was informed by local police to anticipate protests from the Palestine Solidarity Network and Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Church, including Tamaki himself.

Destiny Church members gathered outside the venue were protesting Fisheries Minister Shane Jones’ recreational fishing reform, claiming he was friendly to commercial fishing outfits.

Jones came out and briefly engaged with protesters, having a robust exchange with Tamaki’s assistant Jenny Marshall over her fears for the fate of recreational anglers.

NZ First minister and deputy leader Shane Jones (centre) comes out to meet protesters at the State of the Nation address. Photo / Adam Pearse

Private security, as well as members of the Diplomatic Protection Service who provide security for politicians, were being briefed this morning ahead of the event.

Peters’ party events have often been subject to protests. At the party’s conference in 2024, Peters had to be whisked away from the crowd after a speech due to persistent protesters challenging the Government’s stance on the Gaza conflict.

No protests occurred during Peters’ speech, which lasted almost 70 minutes.

Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.