15 Feb 2009

Peters continues as leader, Brown resigns

8:17 am on 15 February 2009

Winston Peters looks set to stay on as the leader of New Zealand First for another seven months but deputy leader Peter Brown has resigned.

The party met behind closed doors in Auckland on Saturday, to discuss its future after it failed to win any seats in Parliament in the last election.

Winston Peters appeared relaxed and chatted to some of the several dozen people attending before heading into the meeting.

A Radio New Zealand reporter says he went to great lengths to avoid questions about his leadership, escaping out of a side door into a waiting car at the end of the meeting.

New Zealand First Party members earlier blocked reporters from approaching him.

Despite questions over the leaderships, the former MP Pita Paraone says he would like Mr Peters to remain in charge.

He says those at the meeting decided to leave the leadership question for the AGM in September.

But Mr Brown has stood down as deputy, saying he became disillusioned after the last election and no longer has the strength to revitalise the party.

He left the conference early to spend Valentine's Day with his wife.