Election 2023: National releases new attack ad reworking Labour's own

The battle of the attack ads continues.

National's fired back with a re-working of Labour's latest attack video - released exclusively to Newshub.

Christopher Luxon was far from the frontlines on Wednesday though - visiting some of the safest National party territory - the farm.

Politicians will do udderly anything to milk a vote - or at least try to.

Luxon got dirty down on a goat farm, a safe demographic for the Nats.

But can he be a friend of farmers while pledging climate action as one of his top priorities?  

He said his family has embraced recycling over the past decade and take it "really seriously".

But National has also proposed delaying pricing agricultural emissions and is raiding the climate fund for tax cuts. So, do his commitment to farmers and personal pledge to address climate change add up?

"Yes, they do. We are deeply committed to the goals and as I said last night we have different approaches on how to do that," Luxon said. 

After goat cuddles in south Auckland, it was onto National’s heartland, visiting Telford Agricultural College in Southland.  

Friendly with the farming students, but on the campaign frontline, firing back at Labour’s attack ad, with an attack ad of its own. It uses similar imagery to Labour's.

"Labour has been wasting taxpayer money for way too long," it said.

National is throwing barbs at Labour’s spending on consultants, ministries spending large on farewell parties, and Auckland’s ghost light rail.  

"We want to discuss the big issues that are important to New Zealanders," Luxon said. "But where the records are not straight and square, we're going to correct it."

The Labour leader is making no apologies either.

"We have been very clear over the last few weeks that the National Party's numbers don't add up and that there is huge risk in that for New Zealanders," Chris Hipkins said.

"They’ve got no record to run on, no wonder it gets a bit attacky," Luxon said. 

Hipkins said it's important New Zealanders know what's at stake this election.

Luxon is looking at a different kind of steak, or lamb chop in this case. Planning his next farm visit already.