Short answers, pulled from the story.
Winston Peters has been elected to Parliament fifteen times, most recently at the 2023 general election. He served as an MP from 1979 to 1981-1984 to 2008-2011 to 2020, and again from 2023 onward.
Peters was sacked from Cabinet by Prime Minister Jim Bolger in October 1991 after publicly criticising the government's neoliberal economic policies, known as Ruthanasia, and its foreign ownership policies. When the National Party moved to prevent him from seeking renomination in late 1992, he successfully challenged them in the High Court, then resigned from the party and from Parliament in early 1993. He founded New Zealand First in July 1993, shortly before that year's general election.
Peters started the Winebox Inquiry in 1994. It concerned companies using the Cook Islands as a tax haven.
The Privileges Committee recommended Peters be censured on the 22nd of September 2008 for "knowingly providing false or misleading information on a return of pecuniary interests," relating to political donations including $100,000 from businessman Owen Glenn and contributions from the Vela family totalling $150,000. Parliament passed the censure motion the following day. Peters was later cleared by the Serious Fraud Office but some electoral law matters were referred to the Electoral Commission.
The SuperGold Card is a scheme Peters launched in August 2007 as a condition of the 2005 confidence-and-supply agreement between New Zealand First and Helen Clark's Labour Government. It provides free off-peak public transport funded by the government and discounts from businesses across thousands of outlets. Peters upgraded the scheme in October 2019 with a NZ$7.7 million investment that added a new website, mobile app and 500 new partner businesses.
Peters has served as deputy prime minister of New Zealand three times: from 1996 to 1998 in coalition with National under Jim Bolger and then Jenny Shipley; from 2017 to 2020 in coalition with Labour under Jacinda Ardern; and from the 27th of November 2023 to the 31st of May 2025 in coalition with National under Christopher Luxon. He is recorded as the 13th deputy prime minister.