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By week’s end, Winston Peters will surpass his political hero Sir Apirana Ngata as the sixth longest-serving MP in NZ history, nudging past 37 years and 253 days. By this terms end he will be number three, behind only Sir Keith Holyoake and Rex Mason. If he can lead NZFirst back to power in 2026 he will surpass both, becoming the longest serving MP ever. Due to two by-elections he already holds the record for the most elected Politician in the country and is NZ’s longest serving party leader by decades. Peters who became only the fourth candidate of Māori descent in 125 years to win in a general seat. His first election campaign was in 1975, when Chris Luxon had just started school, three years before Hipkins was born and 8 before Seymour came into the world. Peters will turn 80 on April 11 which is well over the life expectancy for Māori men (73.4 years) and well beyond the ordinary political lifespan. For 45 years Peters has eaten a high protein, low carb diet, lots of greens and lots of fish, and I’ve stuck to it. saying when his table received a plate of complementary pancakes at a diner in New York recently he demurred, and he had a bowl of spinach. Peters says it’s diet not the health system that will help Māori & Pacific Islander’s health. One of 11 children and only one, David, has died - of cancer. “We were infuriated with him because he wouldn’t go and get himself checked out regularly,” said Peters. Of the 10 remaining Peters siblings, four are already in their 80s.He puts it down to living frugally and eating a lot of home-grown vegetables and fish and home-baked bread. “We used to moan and think we were really poor – we came to realise when we were older we were lucky”. “I think diet is absolutely critical and...the reality is I don’t think we can win this battle in terms of the health system in this country, Māori health changes, unless there is a massive dietary change.” Peters’ mother lived to age 96 and his father to 85: “The only reason he died is he was too stubborn. He wouldn’t go to hospital because he thought he might die there. “A lot of old Māori hate going to the hospital. I would have sedated him to get him there but by the time I found him it was too late.” Peters said his other advice for survival is to keep yourself “fit and interested.” He followed the good advice of former press secretary Frank Perry who had once said to him: “Winston, don’t act your age – and I’m not.” “It’s no mistake that so many people live a long time who actually keep working, keep their minds busy, keep actively engaged – it’s the secret of success. The moment you give up in terms of working, I think it’s a very bad outcome. I’ve seen so many of my friends retire and they’re dead now.” Soon Peters will hand over the Deputy PM role to David Seymour, when asked what makes a good deputy - he replied “unity, you have to provide stability, however there are big differences in policies between my party and the coalition partners going into the future” Audrey Young: “Have you started campaigning already?” WP : “Yes” AY : “That’s a very long campaign” WP : “I’m long range”