Jacinda Ardern wins debate but fails to ignite
Both Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins were criticised for vagueness on policy.
Jacinda Ardern has urged New Zealanders to trust her tough response to the coronavirus pandemic, and said her daughter would be proud of her fight against climate change as she went head to head with National Party rival Judith Collins in their first leaders’ debate on Monday
Three weeks out from the NZ General Election on October 17, the two leaders were polite but showed little passion in a 90 minute debate that largely failed to ignite.
Speaking at the TVNZ studios without an audience, Ms Ardern and Ms Collins, nicknamed ‘Crusher,’ clashed on the coronavirus, climate change and child poverty, but both were criticised for their vagueness on policy details.
On climate change Bronwyn Hayward, Professor of Politics, at the University of Canterbury said: “Beyond a bit of banter about electric vehicles, neither leader had a policy to fundamentally reduce our transport emissions”.
Morgan Godfery, from the University of Otago said of Ms Ardern: “It’s almost impossible to pin down her politics beyond that optimism”
Ms Ardern is widely expected to win the election, although support has dropped over the last four months. A TVNZ/Colmar Brunton poll has put Labour at 48 per cent, down on the record 59 per cent it enjoyed in May but enough to retain power with minor party support. National was on 31 per cent, down one per cent.
Analysts and viewers were divided on the leaders’ performances in the debate, with viewers giving Ms Ardern the win and analysts plumping for Ms Collins – albeit by a narrow margin.
TVNZ’s election tool, Vote Compass – which took the opinions of TV viewers – said 45 per cent of viewers thought Ms Ardern had won the debate, with 35 per cent opting for Ms Collins. Nineteen per cent said they didn’t know.
Experts saw Ms Collins as the winner although not in a meaningful way.
While I think Collins did just edge the debate - an opinion I'm aware is unpopular on Twitter dot com - this feels like it may be the most enduring part of the night and that is very much not a good thing for her. https://t.co/IZkzhl2dHk
— Sam Sachdeva (@SamSachdevaNZ) September 22, 2020
After the debate, Ms Ardern defended her lacklustre performance, saying: “Politics is not a blood sport”
Coronavirus:
On the coronavirus, the Prime Minister said she stood by a virus program that has limited the outbreak’s toll to 25 deaths in a population of five million.
“I know there is a huge amount of uncertainty right now. That’s why a plan is necessary, so is optimism, that’s what Labour will bring,” she said, adding that there was “enormous opportunity” after the pandemic.
Ms Collins said Ms Ardern’s government had failed to secure New Zealand’s borders, saying people should not be allowed on a plane without a test for coronavirus and that National would charge people for quarantine.
Climate Change
Moving on to climate change, Ms Ardern was asked what her daughter Neve would thank her for in 20 years. She replied that it was her government’s moves on climate change, including Labour’s plans for a new hydro plant.
“That’s just nonsense,” Ms Collins replied, adding that Labour’s plans would increase electrictiyy prices.
“We need to be realistic and hopeful,” Ms Ardern responded. “Climate change is upon us.”
The pair also clashed on farming emissions, with Ms Ardern accusing her rival of a climate change view “of a world that has passed”.
Child poverty
Ms Collins attacked Ms Ardern over her 2018 pledge to halve child poverty in 10 years, claiming more children were living in material hardship than before Ms Ardern became prime minister. Ms Ardern accused her rival of making the claim on just one of many standards of poverty.
“I am not done on child poverty,” she said.
Closing statements
In closing, Ms Collins said the coming election was the most important in a generation.
“Vote for us, because we are the people who get stuff done,” she said.
Ms Ardern referenced her government’s success over coronavirus, saying: “You need strong and stable government. Now is the time to keep moving.”
Ms Ardern has won international praise for her empathetic and decisive response to last year’s attack on two Christchurch mosques by a white supremacist terrorist, in which 51 Muslim worshippers died.
She was criticised for crushing the economy when she implemented tough lockdowns when then the coronavirus pandemic erupted, but the move has since been endorsed by health experts who say it helped contain the virus.
Ms Collins has endured a rocky start after taking over as National’s fourth leader since the 2017 election and its third this year.
National has campaigned hard on its economic management credentials but admitted over the weekend it made a NZ$4.0 billion (AUD$3.7 billion) mistake in its tax policy.
Ms Collins dismissed the blunder as “inconsequential.”
With AFP
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