OPINION: They say COVID-19 targets the elderly and it looks certainly like there'll be another high profile casualty in Wellington political circles.
COVID-19 kept walking towards Winston Peters and now, well, time's up pal.
Peters has been strangled by Jacinda Ardern's domination in her COVID-19 role and the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll has him behind even the New Conservatives, and well, well below 5 percent.
So, a no-name group of New Conservatives ahead of the oldest conservative of all Winston - he will be like a bear with a sore head looking for anyone to blame.
I don't think voters want to put their faith or trust in you again.
But the winner in all this is the man he loves to hate - Mr 6 Percent, ACT's David Seymour. His is a remarkable story of being in a coma for years then suddenly, boom.
He makes sense, he's talking past the tired old parties and directly to people.
National looks like a used ragdoll after a three-year fight amongst themselves, and Jacinda is hoping October 17 hurries up before she has to mention policy.
But here's the issue - vote ACT, get Labour. Then what do ACT and its handful of new MPs achieve?
Maybe it's the ultimate protest vote; you send National a message and show Winston the door - and maybe this year, that's enough?
Duncan Garner hosts The AM Show
