Leaders' debate: Jacinda Ardern admits smoking cannabis 'a long time ago', but won't reveal referendum vote

October 1, 2020

Topics covered by Ardern and Judith Collins included Covid-19, the economy, and cannabis.

Labour's Jacinda Ardern and National's Judith Collins clashed in a fiery second leaders' debate last night, covering Covid-19, the economy, and cannabis.

The Newshub debate drew an admission from Ardern that she smoked cannabis "a long time ago", but she would not reveal how she's planning on voting in the upcoming referendum.

Collins said she had never used the drug, and would vote no in the upcoming referendum. 

Ardern said she decided to interrupt Collins more during this debate.

"I have a personal preference to give a bit more space to one another to make their points but sometimes you just need to make a decision that if you do that you may not get to make your point at all, so I made the call it was either interrupt or not be heard.

Collins, as with TVNZ's opening leaders' debate, said she enjoyed the encounter.

"I actually really enjoyed this one, I enjoyed the last one too but that was my first leaders' debate and this one I guess the second time around enjoyed it even more." 

TVNZ's multi-party debate will be held next Thursday, with a final leaders' debate two days before the October 17 election.

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