The Press Leaders Debate kicked off this evening with Judith Collins and Jacinda Ardern making a bid to the public about why their party should be in change.
"This is the most important election we will ever face," Collins told the Christchurch crowd.
"The most important issue is about the economic recovery for New Zealand. We're a small economy and we have to try harder than everyone else."
She called National's tax cut promise an "adrenaline pump into the heart of the economy".
"We need to build for the future not to look back at the past."
Ardern began, saying it felt "like a global pandemic was the last thing Canterbury needed".
"You have shown the rest of the country what strength and unity looks like."
She said her Government went "hard and early in our health response" to Covid "because we knew that would be good for the economy too".
"I'm not claiming perfection but you only have to look at the rest of the world."
She said planning for the future was needed.
"We mustn't squander hard won gains."
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