New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says a vote for his party is a vote against a water tax.
Mr Peters attended a rally in Morrinsville, Waikato, on Monday, where he told farmers that it wasn't just Labour who were planning a tax on water - it was National too.
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The political veteran told The AM Show on Tuesday that the cost of looking after the environment can't just be placed at the feet of farmers and horticulturalists.
"Nothing's free to farmers - management of water costs come when you're putting an inflated price on and saying, 'You farmers fix up the whole environment'," he said.
"We'll all fix it up together down our country."
Mr Peters also claimed that National has plans for a tax on water usage.
"Some time after the election you're going to find out that what you thought was only the charge of one party, will be the charge of the Government as well," he said.
"Maori are demanding that farmers be charged for water and it's all in their claim, it's all in their documentation, it's all in their website - so why haven't the people been told?"
Mr Peters said New Zealand First's primary bottom line was the removal of race-based preferential treatment.
He said those types of initiatives were destructive to Maori first and foremost, and he wouldn't offer his support to a party that had such laws in place.
When asked which major party he thought would take out the election, Mr Peters said it was too difficult to tell - but he said "the Kardashian nature" of this campaign had made it "unusual".
"It's been outrageous - there's no substance to it," he said.
"The Kardashian nature of it, and the promises that have been overpriced or people lying about what others are saying - the deceit knows no bounds."
Newshub.
