For 20 years New Zealand First has argued and defended economic policies including better medical care, better age care and free health care for children under six years old.

Now the party looks toward a new political agenda – an overall plan to tackle unemployment – particularly in youth.

New Zealand First party leader Winston Peters celebrated 20 years with Tauranga residents at the Omanu Bowling Club today. Photo by Zoe Hunter.

In celebration of the party's 20^th birthday, party leader Winston Peters fronted a crowd of around 50 Tauranga supporters at the Omanu Bowling Club this afternoon.

In his speech, the MP says the party's next step is to tackle unemployment – especially youth unemployment.

Winston says the Government claims New Zealand's unemployment rate is a little more than six per cent.

'They are using a flawed, crude methodology to come to this figure and when it is disputed they say, ‘but we are using the same measurement as 1980'.”

'So they ignore the fact that the measurement is so highly flawed and so highly crude that someone on one hour a week's work is regarded as being employed, not unemployed.

'In other words, one fortieth of the work week we once had is now regarded as being in work. This is not science, this is sorcery.”

As a result, Winston says it is too easy to be what the National Government calls ‘employed' and too hard to be what it calls ‘unemployed'.

'To be unemployed there must be no work at all, out of work and sending your personal resume everywhere and having interviews with all and sundry, to explain to Social Welfare how active you have been.

'Many of these people are not so much unemployed as jobless in many parts of our country where joblessness is growing.

'If unemployment is going down then how come the proportion of the population that is employed in New Zealand today is less than it was in 2008?

Winston says Government cannot keep importing people while unemployed New Zealand citizens are 'on the breadline”.

'There is still plenty of work that needs doing and we have the people to do it – if they are trained and motivated.”

Winston says the policies which the party has argued and defended for 20 years are the 'prescription” to the country's success. But he says the economy is still slipping.

'All of those things are never less paid for by the sound economy and that's New Zealand's trouble. Because we haven't performed economically, we're not helping people socially like we should be helping them.”

Like any political party, Winston acknowledges NZ First has been shaken by 'slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune” but says the party will continue to fight.

'New Zealand First will go on pointing out the falsehoods and fallacies of the present Government's scorched earth policies.

'We will continue to do the job you brought us back for. We will hold this government to account.”

Born in the Bay of Plenty, Winston says he returned to celebrate 20 years with the region specifically to thank his army of dedicated followers who helped grow the party into what it is now.

'I'm here because New Zealand First started here.

'New Zealand First is in a really strong trial of reconstruction. Our membership is rapidly growing and the assets we have, that is the intellectual and human assets that we have to build the party up even stronger are greater now than we've ever had.”