The Project NZ host Kanoa Lloyd asked Winston Peters if he and broadcaster Mark Richardson could "be grown-ups" during a live interview with the politician on Monday night.
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"Do you reckon you could just choose to both be the grown-ups that you are and treat each other respectfully from here on in?" she asked Peters.
Lloyd was addressing an ongoing feud between the pair that worsened after Peters said "good riddance" to "some" of the staff threatened by the impending sale of MediaWorks TV.
The comment prompted AM Show host Mark Richardson to accuse Peters of lacking "basic human respect". The Deputy Prime Minister, in turn, called Richardson "gutless".
When asked about his original message to MediaWorks, Peters clarified he was "seriously sorry" to hear of the "sad situation", before turning his attention back to Richardson.
"To the Richardsons of this world... a guy you've had on your show... he's been dumping all over me, calling me 'white pus' and 'cancer' and what have you... it's all defamatory. He knows what he's done," Peters told The Project.
The NZ First leader claimed his "good riddance" remarks had been aimed at "those people," even taking aim at Richardson's previous cricket career.
"You know why they call him [Richardson] 'Rigor'? Because he was so slow at the bat. Like Rigor Mortis."
Lloyd then intervened, asking Peters to consider how his words might affect the people concerned for their future employment.
"Those comments did have a real effect on the hundreds and hundreds of people that are threatened with the sale of this company, worried about how to get the bills paid in the future."
Peters told Lloyd he "completely understood," reiterating that his political party wouldn't "walk away" from the situation.
"All I'm saying is to the odd person, when you attack someone... don't expect to get away with it. I have been attacked."
In addition to Richardson's war of words with Peters', Newshub political editor Tova O'Brien hit out at the politician in her report on Saturday's New Zealand First Conference.
"He is predictably lashing out, behaving like a 74-year-old toddler," O'Brien said.
Newshub.
