Former Labour Party President Sir Bob Harvey says Jacinda Ardern doesn't need to "do anything" to win next month's election.
The latest political polls have Prime Minister Ardern and Labour well ahead of rivals National and Judith Collins. Last month's Newshub-Reid Research Poll had Labour on 60.9 percent - the highest in its history - and National at just 25.1 percent.
Ardern was also on 62 percent as preferred Prime Minister, with Collins and 14.6 percent.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, Sir Bob, also a former Waitakere Mayor, said Ardern had united New Zealand and was one of "the best" politicians he'd seen.
"Don't do anything," Sir Bob told Magic Talk's John Banks when asked what his advice was to Ardern about winning the election.
Ardern told Newshub last month Labour is focused on what matters to New Zealanders. Sir Bob said Ardern was in "good form".
"She's a bloody terrific campaigner - she doesn't need policy, she needs leadership and she's got it in spades."
Host Banks, also a former National and ACT politician and Auckland Mayor, said he took nothing away from the "global adulation" Ardern had been given but questioned whether she was "ignoring the voters because she knows she's already won".
"The problem I have is, how the hell are we going to save thousands and thousands of businesses up and down the country?"
But Banks believes those who usually vote for a centre-right party think Ardern has "saved" them through her handling of COVID-19 and may swing to Labour.
Sir Bob said he believes Labour will "find their way" through the economic crisis but conceded it was "going to get terrible".
"It'll be awful for families and awful for New Zealanders but I trust that this Government will have some answers - many answers - and we will too," he said.
Meanwhile, Sir Bob doesn't think Collins can take the fight to Ardern in the next month leading into the election.
But Collins on Tuesday accused Ardern of hiding behind the COVID-19 recovery, calling her "arrogant".
"We have a massive issue facing New Zealand in terms of jobs and the economy and we have the current Prime Minister incapable of delivering on anything except slogans," Collins said.
Ardern said the Government had laid out a significant plan for New Zealand to recover from COVID-19.
"Yes, COVID will predetermine a lot of what we debate this election, but voters still have a choice to make as to whether or not they continue with the plan that we've pitched or whether or not they choose to stop and move on to an alternative programme," Ardern said on Tuesday.
