Michael Johnston: Palaeolithic walruses in the age of reason

Here are a couple of highlights from the leaders’ debate last Tuesday evening:

“That’s a good point, Christopher. Most economists do agree that selectively removing GST from fruit and vegetables is a dumb idea. We’d better rethink that one.”

“Well, Chris, you make a good point too. It looks as if the foreign-buyer tax won’t raise as much as we’d first thought.”

They didn’t say anything of the sort, of course.

Peter Wilson: Week in Politics: Leaders' debate fails to catch fire

The leaders' debate Chris Hipkins had to win but didn't, more bad news for Labour in the latest poll, ACT and NZ First reluctantly agree they could work together.

Chris Hipkins needed to win Tuesday night's 1News debate with Christopher Luxon and he didn't. He didn't get near it - and most commentators called it a draw or gave it to Luxon.

Jason Walls: Surprised the leaders’ debate was a snoozefest? You haven’t been paying attention

The first televised leader’s debate of the 2023 election campaign proved that blue paint dries slightly faster than red paint.  

Political editors and commentators broadly agreed that Chris Luxon was the winner, in what was probably the most lacklustre debate in more than a decade.  

There was no instantly iconic “show me the money,” or “this stardust won't settle” line from either of the Chrises – and certainly no “my husband is from Samoan, so Talofa”.  

Danny: Who Won the Leaders’ Debate

Who cares? If you were able to watch it, you probably need a rethink about your state of mind and perhaps should consider counselling. I tried to do my civic duty by tuning in. I lasted almost thirty seconds watching the highly affectatious introduction from the arm-waving host with the terrible diction before kicking the can down the road. I decided my personal emotional well-being would be better served by reading about it later rather than letting it mess with my blood pressure. I wasn’t too keen to watch the two leaders either, to be honest. I think both of them are borderline useless, but somehow was hoping for a miracle. Turns out I was wise as the overall reaction seems to be that it was indeed a complete waste of time.

If this is the best we have on offer to lead the country, we really won’t be seeing a significant change after the election other than in personnel. Different faces, same garbage done slightly differently. Maybe an improvement in money management but unless there is some kind of epiphany in the leadership, it will be just more of the same.

Bob Jones: The Debate

I tuned in to TV One on Tuesday night for the debate, that in itself a rare event, indeed probably the first time this year that I’ve viewed TVNZ. But not for long. I lasted 10 minutes.

The appalling moderator Jessica Mulch or Muck or some such name, screeching and bellowing Barbarian while Hipkins simultaneously babbled at 100 words a minute, saw me quickly tune out and pick up my book.

Peter Dunne: Leaders in touch with the public mood

In the wake of the first pre-election televised leaders’ debate the commentariat has reacted with predictable banality. The focus, masquerading as analysis, has been almost solely on who “won” or “lost”, rather than what the two leaders said. The debate has been variously compared to an All Blacks’ test, a boxing match, or dismissed as a “snorefest”.

Kerre Woodham: It wasn't so much a debate

I know people are complaining that last night's debate between the leaders of Labour and National was boring. But seriously, give me a ‘let's get on with business, steady as she goes’ Prime Minister any day.

I am sick and tired of 'rockstar razzle-dazzle' prime ministers who give up when the going gets tough, be they ‘ponytail pulling, catwalk modeling’ Prime ministers or ‘unicorn riding, fairy dust sprinkling, jazz hand waving’ Prime Ministers. Give me somebody solid, sensible, reliable, who understands policy, who understands how to get things done, and I will be happy.

Mike Hosking: Thoughts on the leaders' debate

So, the debate.

Firstly, I fear I may be wasting your time if you didn't see it. If you didn't, you didn't miss much.

If you did see it you will have been, I assume, bored witless.

Kate Hawkesby: Are the Chrises ready to face the heat?

David Seymour said yesterday that the media can’t be trusted to fairly carry ACT’s message. 

Based on the texts we got yesterday from people who attended the ACT launch rally, there may be some truth in that. In general, I don’t think we’re being well served by election coverage at the moment... but from all sides. The annoying disruptors, the shadow boxing politicians, the agenda driven clickbait media who proclaim not to have any agenda at all. Give it up, we can see your agenda, it’s plain as day. When you start insinuating someone is racist because someone else disrupted their campaign launch when that same person is a serial disruptor at multiple political party events, then you’ve lost the plot.  

Mike Hosking: What to expect from the first debate

It's debate night tonight.

As the campaign takes its next step in intensity, the unknown this year is the Luxon factor. We have never seen him head to head, unless you watch Parliament and no one does.

He has down played his credentials against a bloke who has spent his entire career in politics.

Robert MacCulloch: Knock-out Strategies for the Leaders Debate on 19 September

Personalities aside, how could Chris the Nat Leader lay a knock-out punch on Chris the Labour Leader, or vice versa? At a time when diversity is (nearly) everything, the two Chris’, who share lots in common, will be trying hard to differentiate their similar products from one another. To keep this Blog balanced, lets list three simple strategies which each Chris could employ to one-up the other Chris. Let us start with how Hipkins could achieve a victory, going into the election the bookies underdog.

Peter Wilson: Week in Politics - On the campaign trail

The latest polls show Labour's flagship policy promise hasn't worked, next week's leaders debate could be its last chance. Treasury's PREFU warns there's no more money to spare, pressure mounts on National to explain its "mansion tax" policy and Winston Peters edges closer to a comeback.

Monday's Newshub-Reid Research poll was the most important of the campaign so far.

It was taken after Labour announced its flagship dental care policy - and it hasn't worked.