New Zealand First MP and candidate for Northland Shane Jones was on The Country, talking to host Jamie Mackay on tobacco excise and why rural voters should Back their Future and vote NZ First.
Mackay asked Jones what his leader Winston Peters was thinking when he suggested lowering the price of cigarettes.
Increasing the price of "a pack of fags" hadn't resulted in a drop off in smokers, said Jones, who accused Mackay of being a "disciple in the anti-smoking crusade".
Cigarette prices gave Jones another opportunity to criticise the Greens and the Labour Party.
"Here's the perfidy. Here's the irony. I've got the Greens and Labour campaigning to legalise dope, whilst at the same time I've got them wanting to tax the bejesus out of cigarettes."
"You can't have it both ways mate."
Mr Jones had a strong message for any rural Kiwis considering not voting for NZ First.
"I say this to the farmers, if you wake up without Jones and Winston to look after your interests - welcome to your new form of hell - with the Greens as your new agricultural minister and Labour leading exclusively."
He also remained philosophical about NZ First's drop in popularity with rural New Zealand, because all farmers "watch the All Blacks and they vote for the National Party". He also said polls were the work of "meddlesome media Beezlebubs".
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12370720
