It has been a trying year for Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.

The NZ First leader has scored some political wins for his party through his role in the coalition government, but as well as the serious events that have hurt the country as a whole, Peters had to take several weeks off due to a serious health issue. 

Peters told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford that he got a serious infection after a visit to hospital that saw him crook for longer. 

"I'll feel so much better after summer. I've got a pretty detailed schedule over summer that's designed to see me in far better shape after the holidays." 

He said that noticing that the buttons were bursting on the shirts of colleagues, he cut out carbs and other unhealthy elements from his diet. 

Peters also discussed his relationship with the media, what people say to him on the street, and what he's proud of when it comes to the coalition. 

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