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So what advantage does Winston Peters give himself by ruling out Labour after the election?

His famous trick, if that\\u2019s what you want to call it, was to play guessing games. He always said the voters would decide, which of course they never did. The voters voted and then Peters decided based on what he wanted to do.

By ruling out Labour this time is he playing a new trick? He ruled "this lot" out. Who are "this lot?\\u201d Labour? Or just a few of the Labour leadership? In other words, is there wriggle room here? Or are we supposed to take him at his word?

He\\xa0will not be doing a deal with\\xa0Labour. He is also not doing a deal with the Maori Party. That doesn\'t really matter\\xa0because the Maori\\xa0Party and the\\xa0Labour\\xa0Party for the sake of deals are the same party. He\'s\\xa0also had trouble with\\xa0ACT\\xa0in the past. Or was it that\\xa0ACT\\xa0had trouble with\\xa0New\\xa0Zealand\\xa0First?

So if ACT\\xa0rules out\\xa0New Zealand First,\\xa0where does that leave\\xa0National? National have previously ruled out\\xa0New\\xa0Zealand\\xa0First but that was another day,\\xa0different leadership.

Although you would have to think that if they ruled him out now, that\'s him stuck. That is why he might have made an error\\xa0ruling out\\xa0Labour.

Why\\xa0are you voting for a party that,\\xa0famously,\\xa0keeps them honest,\\xa0if neither major party wants to touch you? You have no deals and\\xa0therefore you are a minor player that makes no difference at all.

In a crapshoot type of result, it is possible that New Zealand First is needed, by either party, and they play the cross bench game.

In other words it\'s a\\xa0minority government,\\xa0needing the\\xa0Winston tick on individual bits of law.

The odds of that happening are slim to say the least,\\xa0and certainly not something you would want to campaign and bank on if you were\\xa0Peters. And that\'s\\xa0before you get to the age old issue of New Zealand First. Having seen them run around the mulberry bush with all and sundry many a time,\\xa0just what is it that\\u2019s left that excites you? Why are you looking at that tired old mess yet again?

Don\\u2019t get me wrong in ruling out\\xa0Labour he\'s made a sensible call,\\xa0who would work with them again?

But,\\xa0talk about limiting\\xa0your options.

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