Controlling immigration is among the 81-year-old NZ First leader's biggest selling points as he tick-tacks across the country on the campaign trail.
It's not a new message from the veteran, first elected in 1978 and leader of his party since 1993.
This year it has particular salience, with NZ First polling around 11 per cent and on track for its best result in at least two decades.
"We're packing the halls out and there's enormous enthusiasm," he tells AAP.
NZ First is proposing what it is calling the most serious immigration reform in a generation.
That includes new deportation powers, tougher access to welfare and a referendum on capping resident visas.
Routes to citizenship will be cut or lengthened and voting rights will be stripped from non-citizens.
Crucially, he's also demanding the keys to the castle, putting the immigration ministry top of his wish-list if the right bloc is re-elected for a second term.
The message he's selling to Kiwis is let's not end up like Australia.
"You can look abroad and see what's happening. Look at Australia for a start," he said, arguing to follow the migration model of many in Asia.
"They only bring people to the country who they need, not who need them, and so should we."
Mr Peters' rhetoric includes attacks on "globalists" and an assertion NZ First is more nationalist than his coalition partners, centre-right National party and free-marketers ACT.
Mr Peters' stance was brought into sharp focus during a TVNZ debate, when he was the only party leader unmoved when all were asked to raise their hand if they thought diversity was a good thing.
"Countries that have been marvellously successful, they've gone for unity ... every time you get diversity, you get the exact opposite," he said.
On current polling, Mr Peters is certain to be re-elected for a 14th term and become the country's longest-serving MP.
He is already its oldest cabinet minister, after a career that began the year Space Invaders was released and has spanned 12 Kiwi prime ministers.
After a busy term as foreign minister, he vehemently denies slowing down, despite reports he does not want another three years as the country's top diplomat.
Prime Minister Chris Luxon may not want to give him another stint after a series of inflammatory remarks in parliament, including in July when he sparked scorn and a diplomatic incident by telling a China-born Greens MP to "go back to your own country ... where they lie like a flatfish".
His deputy Shane Jones also attacked migration pathways in the NZ-India free trade agreement - which NZ First opposed - as tantamount to a "butter chicken tsunami".
These episodes are damaging for Mr Luxon, who cannot sack or reprimand the NZ First ministers without toppling the government, but establish brand differentiation for NZ First.
However, the parties are locked in with each other in the right bloc, meaning one way or another, they need to campaign effectively to hit a majority and then negotiate another coalition after November 7.
With a week to go, coalition tensions are again flaring as Mr Peters campaigns for National party supporters to vote for NZ First as it attempts to maximise representation of his party and embolden their hand in the next government.
Mr Peters is eager to have the whip hand, but won't say how he'll use it.
"I don't go out and start bargaining for portfolios before the people have voted ... there are many permutations that are still available to us," he said.
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