People / group

New Zealand First

1993– · 20th century · Also known as NZ First

New Zealand First is a nationalist and populist political party founded in 1993 by Winston Peters after he left the National Party. It has held the balance of power in several parliaments under MMP, forming coalitions with National in 1996 and Labour in 2017 and joining National and ACT in government in 2023. It campaigns on immigration, pensions and economic nationalism.

New Zealand First
Image: New Zealand First · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). New Zealand First. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/new-zealand-first
MLA
“New Zealand First.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/new-zealand-first. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “New Zealand First.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/new-zealand-first.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘New Zealand First’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/new-zealand-first (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻