No ridiculous questions in leaders\u2019 debate<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not going to get into unseemly comparisons between the performances of hosts of political leaders\u2019 debates, other than to say they have all been more than competent.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve seen Ryan Bridge twice, Jack Tame, Tova O\u2019Brien, Paddy Gower and Luke Malpass, Andrea Vance and Jenna Lynch.<\/p>\n
Ryan Bridge (from left), Jack Tame, Paddy Gower and Tova O’Brien all hosted leaders’ debates.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve also had some great after-match panels featuring people such as the Herald\u2019s own Thomas Coughlan<\/a> and Katie Bradford, Newstalk ZB\u2019s Heather du Plessis-Allan, Toby Manhire, Matthew Hooton, Trish Sherson and Josie Pagani.<\/p>\n There may have been the rare frivolous question. Who cares if Winston Peters likes David Seymour or not? But none has been ridiculous,<\/a> despite Christopher Luxon\u2019s response to Gower asking if he would resign rather than call the Opportunity Party on November 8.<\/p>\n All parliamentary parties and Opportunity have had the chance to appear three times in national televised debates. That is probably about enough. It is a pity they didn\u2019t start a little later, however, because to have no national debates in the last two weeks of the campaign is decidedly odd.<\/p>\n Just one suggestion to press secretaries, however. Please make your leaders rewatch the debates they took part in so they can better appreciate why talking over each other is such a turn-off.<\/p>\n They said it<\/p>\n \u201cIt is just Chris Flipkins at it again.\u201d Education Minister Erica Stanford on what she sees as Labour\u2019s shifting position on the school building programme.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had one lady come out and ask me to shut up but most people come out and join in.\u201d T\u0101maki Act candidate James Christmas on his 90 street meetings so far, on Herald NOW.<\/p>\n Looking ahead<\/p>\n Thursday: The NZ Herald\u2019s Mood of the Boardroom is released, Chris Hipkins will be in Hawke\u2019s Bay, Qiulae Wong will be in Christchurch, Epsom candidates meeting at 7pm, including Paul Goldsmith versus David Seymour.<\/p>\n Friday: David Seymour will be on Kerre Woodham\u2019s ZB show at 10am.<\/p>\n Noteworthy<\/p>\n 5 MINUTES OF FAME: When you\u2019re a kid with an autograph book and the Prime Minister is busy holding a public meeting in the community hall, there\u2019s only one thing for it; bail up the next best thing, the Prime Minister\u2019s VIP chauffeur, for an autograph, as happened during his stop at the Pongakawa Hall on Wednesday.WOP-WOPS: Wondering where Pongakawa is? It\u2019s about 17km from Te Puke towards East Cape on State Highway 2. Its MPs are National\u2019s Dana Kirkpatrick (niece of All Blacks great Ian Kirkpatrick) and Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori\u2019s Rawiri Waititi. The East Coast electorate has been renamed East Cape and Labour\u2019s candidate is list MP and agriculture spokeswoman Jo Luxton.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss these stories<\/p>\n Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam told the Big Hairy Network podcast<\/a> that the backlash against the Mob\u2019s selection hui \u201creeks of fascism\u201d. Labour leader Chris Hipkins was criticised for calling the funding of drug rehabilitation programme by the gang a mistake. Hipkins, Tam said, \u201cthrew Jacinda under the bus\u201d.<\/p>\nChristopher Luxon (centre) in Pongakawa, with Todd McClay (from left), Louise Upston, Dana Kirkpatrick and Erica Stanford. Photo \/ TVNZ screen grab<\/p>\n