But Colin, if what you say is true:

"National's decision to buddy up with the Maori Party and support the repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act, among others things like private prisons for Maori and more self-determination in social services provision, provides Peters with the perfect opportunity to "do a Brash'' and awaken the slice of middle New Zealand fed up with "special privileges for Maori'"

Then where would NZ First turn to, Labour could not support NZ First in any coalition if this was the case as they vehmently opposed Brash's views, and can hardly then get into bed with NZ First if they campaign on similar lines, again he's hoping to play kingmaker if he get's back in?. I for one think they will not, and like the Greens, will not win a seat but will rely on the 5% threshold.

I saw a part of the program at the weekend and do agree Colin, his advisors/media PR guys have had a strong word with him and gone was his arrogance and hatred/contempt of media, being childish when interrupted etc etc...intertesting times ahead to be sure.

'Come back Winston, all is forgiven' seems to be a timely call. Since National's spine with regards maori greed seems to be made of a brand of expediency rubber and Labour is getting a sore backside fence sitting, we need someone who'll say it like it is, like it or not. I've had experience of tribal ownership of beaches in Vanuatu where you pay to go on the best beaches. Considering we already have gang extortion tactics and illegal road closures by maori activists in the Ureweras now, maori ownership ( guardianship or whatever euphemistic nonsense you like) of beaches will lead to popular and/or isolated beaches becoming extortion no go zones if the public have any sense. Like him or not we need Peter's voice of sanity in this racial nightmare that is growing here.

Colin, you want Winston back because "Parliament's boring without him".

I didn't think Parliament was supposed to be about entertainment, I thought it was about running the country, silly me!

I would rather have a boring Parliament that gets on with the job it is supposed to do, with out any Winston Peter's type side shows. And you might think he has mellowed, but don't be deceived, Leopards don't change their spots.

For example, he has always used the "race card" to gain publicity, and this is what he is doing again. Don't give him the publicity he craves. PLEASE.

Love him or loathe him, by turning up now Peters shows that he still has considerable political judgement.

It must have been agony for someone like him to stay out of the limelight for so long, but he's bided his time and waited for the right issue on which to return. He's also clearly taken a good look at himself and understands that after the batterings of last year he personally needs to change a bit to make himself more palatable to the punters.

His return shows up Goff as a rank amateur. Unlike Peters Goff has clutched at every possible straw that has come along, forever trying to make something out of nothing. He could do worse than look on Peters' patience for 'the right time/the right issue' as an examplar for what he should be doing.

I got the clear impression Winston came on the show because Guyon wanted him there. Winston tried to avoid any comment on his political future despite both Guyon and Paul Holmes wanted some sort of exclusive

This whole Maori extremist issue ( most Maori aren't interested ) of owning the coastline was a disaster waiting to happen.....and thanks to John Key's apparent ' Politics of Compromise ' it has come back to create more problems and friction. The law as standing was fine - guarranteeing everyone access. Enter Winston, and he cut through the bulls**t and named the issues. Especially, that the ""Maori party""" and other radical groups actually want a separate Maori nation and as much land and title as they can grab. This rigged result ( one of the committee is Tipene O'Regan's daughter ) is finding that 'Maori' in general own the coastline and that this should be kept out of the realm of the courts. That's because legally, they don't have a leg to stand on. The treaty of Waitangi actually cedes Foreshore and Seabed to the Crown. Note also that the Maori tribes had no national identity and there was no such place as Aotearoa. Maori claiming any coastline would have to do this based on their own genealogy tribe/ area as of 1840 ( forgetting the previous tribe they probably took the land off ). Even if they can do that, it still conflicts with the British concept of the Foreshore being owned by the nation, or monarch. But then there's the legal issue that Maori can truly only claim things based on their purity of blood. Most 'Maori' now are less than 10% pure blood and none are more than 25%. So how can you claim you own the beach as a 'Maori' when you are 80% white ? Was a great Q+A program, despite Guyon breaking a prior agreement and badgering Winston for a comeback confession. Metiria Turei showed her true colours, arguing for Maori separatism and title. She's not really a greeny and should have joined the Maori Party. Was previously a lawyer in Waitangi claims. See Muriel Newman's excellent article about the history of this Foreshore claim problem at NZCPR.com . Winston Peters is doing a service by talking facts on this critical issue. There is an undercurrent working to divide the nation via Maori separatism. Some of this is done in bureaucracy - more Maori placenames and spelling changes and subtitles.....eg at you library ( the Maori tribes never had libraries ). And pronunciation changes.....telling us how to speak. Pushing the fictitious 'Aotearoa' idea. Ruining a good anthem by adding a Maori verse to a Euro tune.

Peters was always brilliant in opposition, but hopeless in government. Much better at asking the hard questions than answering them, and it was that trait that soured his relationship with the press and the public.

5% is a huge threshold to cross for a party with no electorate MP. There is always the underlying fear of a wasted vote.

4.1% of the voters got burned that way last election. 4.9% got burned that way in 1999 with Christian Heritage.

My pick is that, unless Peters polls consistently well above the 5% for a good stretch before next election then he has no hope.

I also suspect the Greens are on borrowed time. They are only one bad result away from the wilderness, and without ether Rod or Jeanette (and still having mad Sue) I am picking sooner rather than later.

Please no way, the guy is a joke and a liar. We are better off without him.

South Islander, come on, I was being deliberately flip when I said Parliament's boring without him. But I do believe he represents a certain voice which is absent from the current parliament. But you are silly if you think Parliament is about "running the country''. That's the job of the executive. Parliament makes laws. But mostly it's about entertainment.

Richard, come on, Winston doesn't do anything because others want him to. Think he was bullied into coming on by Guyon and Holmes? And Winston could have cleared up any misunderstanding on his politcal future very easily by simply saying "no''. That he chose to raise his eyebrows and talk about not heading into the sunset "just yet'' speaks volumes, if you were listening.

It is a long time until the next election, and he will be well and truly forgotten by then. And so he should be - he is using the race card once again, as he always does, taking advantage of fear, rather than allowing the process of the Seabed & Foreshore matter to run its course. He is racist, devisive and opportunist. It has been a relief to be without his antics for a while, and long may it continue.