The Outdoors Party says it's joining Freedoms NZ, an umbrella political party started by controversial Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki last year.
In a statement on Saturday morning, Outdoors confirmed the party had decided to join the Freedoms NZ political movement "to inspire courage, respect for other views, common sense and aroha and reclaim the New Zealand we used to be so proud of".
Speaking to Newshub Nation on Saturday, Peter Lineham, a retired Massey University history professor who in 2013 published a book on Tamaki, believed the Destiny Church leader sensed "this is a political moment… waiting for a different voice".
"I think that Brian's goal is, in fact, to see himself as the leader… of those who feel disgruntled with the 'liberal' trend, as he sees it, of New Zealand society," Lineham said.
"The real question is, just what kind of support is there for this 'anti-liberal' trend?"
Outdoors is co-led by controversial lawyer Sue Grey, who has been criticised over misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
Lineham believed support for Tamaki's movement was "limited".
"I'd put it, at the most, 5 percent of the population," he said.
"The odd thing about the 'freedoms' coalition is that they're not really united on anything except what they dislike, so there are a series of negatives but [it's] virtually impossible to state a precise positive position.
"There is a space there and the trouble is that lots of people are vying for that space, and I'm not sure that Tamaki's solution's going to be the one that appeals."
Watch the full video for more.
Watch Newshub Nation 9:30am Saturday/10am Sunday on Three & Three Now, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
