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You've got to hand it to Winston Raymond Peters.

On this his 80th birthday... he's jetting round the Pacific representing his country. Keeping us close to our friends in the region as China circles and America wanders.

He's visited more than 40 countries since Luxon took over.

The stamina. The discipline. The confidence. The work ethic... all things to be admired.

Doesn't matter what side of politics you come from, hats off to you Winston. And Happy birthday.

And what a contrasted pictures he paints in Parliament...

One side of the house... draped in performative costume's... wearing badges and head pieces... and snapping their fingers... and doing TikTok videos....

And not bothering to learn the standing orders...

Not bothering to turn up to work.

Not bothering to engage in meaningful debate so that we might all get to a better place... you know... the essence of democracy.

Winston is not perfect... he's flip-flopped and u-turned more times than you can count. He angered the right picking an inexperienced Labour party over the high-polling Bill English in 2017. Some will never forgive him for that.

BUT. he's a man with a strategy. He's a man who doesn't mind hard work. He's a man whose politics you may not like, but who's character modern society cannot afford to lose or forget.

He was born in 1945 - just a few weeks before Germany surrendered to the Allies in WWII.

He's been in politics for nearly half a century.

The Kingmaker... punching well above his weight in MMP system. In fact... a teacher of mine used to say the P in MMP was Peters.

He's loves a bit of drama... he loves a fight... he's not above performative politics too, by the way.. remember the NO sign? Remember the Winebox inquiry? The donations sagas?

BUT... and this is why kiwis keep giving him a chance... he takes seriously the things and people's he promised to represent... and he works day and night to get the political deals done to make them happen.

The new generation of politicians should put their phones down, sign out of Instagram... and take a leaf out of Winston’s diary...

Happy Birthday, Winne P.