New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has branded protesters who demonstrated against his party’s bill to define man and woman in law as “lefty weirdos.”

Speaking at Cambridge Town Hall on Sunday afternoon, Peters told supporters “Yesterday there was a protest in Auckland down Queen Street full of lefty weirdos who were protesting about New Zealand First’s bill to define in law what a man and woman is.

“They are so egotistical they couldn’t even figure out which flag to fly, is it Palestine, rainbow, or the Māori flag, because they had all three,” Peters said.

“They seriously believe the universe just revolves around them. Their egos are only matched by their learning difficulties,” Peters said.

Peters said the legislation was not “anti-anyone or anti-anything” and said the government “has no place in the nation’s bedrooms.”

“This bill is about protecting women and girls’ rights, freedoms, and safety. Not about what people decide to do with their private lives,” he said.

“For us to have to legislate this basic biological reality shows how much the ‘woke mind virus’ has infected our society,” Peters said.

Peters said New Zealand First had already delivered a series of changes in what he called the war on woke.

He said the party had removed the relationship and sexual education guidelines from schools, stopped the use of puberty blockers for children, and ensured men could not compete against women and girls in sport.

“We may have won many battles, but the war is yet to be won,” Peters said.

For those who would not, his message was blunt. “Get out of the way,” Peters said.

Attack on Labour and the cost of living

With the election just under five months away, Peters used much of the speech to target Labour, claiming it had abandoned working New Zealanders.

“Labour is now fighting for the space on the woke far-left, instead of fighting for the workers, fighting for middle New Zealand,” Peters said.

He mocked Labour’s recently announced public transport policy and its earlier promise of three free doctor’s visits.

“It’s starting to sound like an Oprah Winfrey episode where everyone gets free stuff handed out. You get one, you get one, everyone gets one,” Peters said.

Peters claimed a Green Party press release last week had confused a $500 million figure with $500 billion, and warned that Labour would be forced to govern with the Greens and Māori Party.

He pointed to New Zealand First’s own cost of living policies, including breaking up the power companies, splitting the supermarket duopoly, and establishing a competitive state owned bank.

India free trade agreement

Peters launched an extended attack on the government’s free trade agreement with India, which his coalition partners National and ACT have championed. He argued the deal was lopsided and lacked balance.

“It’s like going to play a game of poker, where just to make sure you can’t win, you show your opponents your cards,” Peters said.

He said New Zealand had agreed to remove tariffs on Indian goods immediately while India kept exclusions, quotas and phase outs in place, and claimed the deal required New Zealand to promote $32 billion of outward investment into India over 15 years. Peters said the agreement was expected to lift national GDP by only 0.1% by 2050.

Peters claimed the agreement was “more a Free Migration Deal, not a Free Trade Deal”, pointing to 5000 work visas he said could rise to 20,000 or 25,000 once family members were included, alongside uncapped student numbers with work rights.

He also raised a clause recognising the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, citing King’s Counsel Gary Judd, who he said had described it as “a Constitutional Trojan Horse”.

Paris Accord and Gene Technology Bill

Peters renewed his call for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Accord, claiming up to $22 billion of taxpayer money could go offshore. He said four countries produced around 60% of global emissions while New Zealand contributed about 0.17%.

“We need to stop this nonsense,” Peters said.

He confirmed New Zealand First would not support the government’s Gene Technology Bill as it stood, citing inadequate safeguards.

“We have built our country’s export and economic reputation on our GE-Free label, and we will not sacrifice or risk that for other party’s political agendas,” Peters said.

He closed with the speech’s theme, urging supporters to “keep hope alive” and give the party “the tools, so we can finish the job.”