NZ‌ ‌Election‌ ‌2020:‌ ‌The‌ ‌best‌ ‌moments‌ ‌from‌ ‌TVNZ's‌ ‌multi-party‌ ‌leaders‌ ‌debate‌

Five‌ ‌leaders‌ ‌from‌ ‌minor‌ ‌parties‌ ‌took‌ ‌the‌ ‌stage‌ ‌on‌ ‌Thursday‌ ‌night‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌lively‌ ‌debate‌ ‌that‌ ‌had‌ ‌plenty‌ ‌of‌ ‌jabs‌ ‌and‌ ‌digs.‌ ‌

ACT's‌ ‌David‌ ‌Seymour,‌ ‌the‌ ‌Greens'‌ ‌James‌ ‌Shaw,‌ ‌NZ‌ ‌First's‌ ‌Winston‌ ‌Peters,‌ ‌the‌ ‌Māori‌ ‌Party's‌ ‌John‌ ‌Tamihere‌ ‌and‌ ‌Advance‌ ‌NZ's‌ ‌Jami-Lee‌ ‌Ross‌ ‌went‌ ‌head-to-head‌ ‌in‌ ‌TVNZ's‌ ‌multi-party‌ ‌leaders‌ ‌debate.‌ ‌

Here's‌ ‌a‌ ‌selection‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌best‌ ‌moments‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌debate.‌ ‌

‌'God‌ ‌bless‌ ‌the‌ ‌Queen,‌ ‌and‌ ‌all‌ ‌that‌ ‌stuff'‌ ‌

The‌ ‌five‌ ‌candidates‌ ‌were‌ ‌asked‌ ‌whether‌ ‌New‌ ‌Zealand‌ ‌should‌ ‌become‌ ‌a‌ ‌republic‌ ‌when‌ ‌the‌ ‌Queen‌ ‌dies,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Tamihere‌ ‌gave‌ ‌a‌ ‌thumbs‌ ‌up.‌ ‌

"God‌ ‌bless‌ ‌the‌ ‌Queen,‌ ‌and‌ ‌all‌ ‌that‌ ‌stuff…‌ ‌but‌ ‌it's‌ ‌about‌ ‌time‌ ‌[New‌ ‌Zealand‌ ‌became‌ ‌a‌ ‌republic].‌ ‌She‌ ‌lives‌ ‌12,000‌ ‌miles‌ ‌away,"‌ ‌he‌ ‌said.‌ ‌

"For‌ ‌goodness‌ ‌sake,‌ ‌the‌ ‌closest‌ ‌I've‌ ‌ever‌ ‌come‌ ‌to‌ ‌her‌ ‌is‌ ‌licking‌ ‌the‌ ‌back‌ ‌of‌ ‌her‌ ‌head‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌stamp."‌ ‌

He‌ ‌added‌ ‌New‌ ‌Zealanders‌ ‌are‌ ‌their‌ ‌"own‌ ‌sovereign‌ ‌peoples‌ ‌now"‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌country‌ ‌can‌ ‌"embark‌ ‌on‌ ‌its‌ ‌own‌ ‌conversation".‌ ‌

‌'Silver‌ ‌fox'‌ ‌

While‌ ‌discussing‌ ‌infrastructure‌ ‌and‌ ‌what‌ ‌policies‌ ‌parties‌ ‌would‌ ‌use‌ ‌to‌ ‌speed‌ ‌up‌ ‌economic‌ ‌recovery‌ ‌post-COVID-19,‌ ‌Seymour‌ ‌said‌ ‌there's‌ ‌no‌ ‌"silver‌ ‌bullet"‌ ‌to‌ ‌economic‌ ‌redevelopment.‌ ‌

Peters‌ ‌and‌ ‌Tamihere‌ ‌are‌ ‌seen‌ ‌sharing‌ ‌a‌ ‌quiet‌ ‌laugh‌ ‌with‌ ‌each‌ ‌other‌ ‌before‌ ‌debate.‌ ‌moderator‌ ‌Jessica‌ ‌Mutch‌ ‌McKay‌ ‌says‌ ‌the‌ ‌"silver‌ ‌bullet"‌ ‌line‌ ‌was‌ ‌one‌ ‌Peters‌ ‌used‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌break‌ ‌during‌ ‌the‌ ‌debate.‌ ‌

"I‌ ‌must've‌ ‌got‌ ‌the‌ ‌silver‌ ‌bullet‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌silver‌ ‌fox,"‌ ‌Seymour‌ ‌replied,‌ ‌causing‌ ‌Peters‌ ‌to‌ ‌laugh.‌ 

Winston Peters, James Shaw, Jami-Lee Ross, David Seymour and John Tamihere took part in the debate.
Winston Peters, James Shaw, Jami-Lee Ross, David Seymour and John Tamihere took part in the debate. Photo credit: TVNZ

'Out of date'

During a discussion about new ideas, Peters hit out at Seymour claiming ACT didn't have any.

Peters went after the party for "spouting the same old rubbish" on austerity and neoliberalism.

"I just can't believe Winston Peters is calling me out of date," Seymour replies.

Peters goes on to say ACT has its "training wheels" on and the party has "no chance of being in government".‌

'There's‌ ‌no‌ ‌way‌ ‌that‌ ‌Mr‌ ‌Advance'‌ ‌has‌ ‌a‌ ‌chance‌ ‌

Tamihere‌ ‌believes‌ ‌Ross‌ ‌won't‌ ‌get‌ ‌into‌ ‌Parliament‌ ‌since‌ ‌his‌ ‌party‌ ‌is‌ ‌polling‌ ‌low.‌ ‌

Advance‌ ‌NZ‌ ‌is‌ ‌currently‌ ‌sitting‌ ‌on‌ ‌1‌ ‌percent,‌ ‌according‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌latest‌ ‌Colmar-Brunton‌ ‌poll‌ ‌released‌ ‌on‌ ‌Thursday‌ ‌night.‌ ‌

"Across‌ ‌the‌ ‌other‌ ‌side‌ ‌of‌ ‌town,‌ ‌Māori‌ ‌TV‌ ‌is‌ ‌running‌ ‌a‌ ‌debate‌ ‌for‌ ‌Te‌ ‌Tai‌ ‌Tokerau.‌ ‌[Ross']‌ ‌party,‌ ‌zero‌ ‌percent‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌polling‌ ‌up‌ ‌there.‌ ‌There's‌ ‌no‌ ‌way‌ ‌that‌ ‌Mr‌ ‌Advance‌ ‌over‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌going‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌[into‌ ‌Parliament].‌ ‌Wasted‌ ‌vote‌ ‌over‌ ‌there,"‌ ‌Tamihere‌ ‌said.‌ ‌ ‌