TVNZ Multi-Party Debate: Fast-paced jabs over Covid, housing and dependence on China

A fast-paced TVNZ Multi-Party Debate saw the leaders quarrel over housing, the Covid response and New Zealand's dependence on China. 

New Zealand First's Winston Peters, the Māori Party's John Tamihere, Green Party co-leader James Shaw, Advance NZ's Jami-Lee Ross and ACT's David Seymour faced-off in a bid to sell their policies to potential voters. 

Views on Covid vaccines, New Zealand becoming a republic and funding of private schools were also pulled during the debate, moderated by 1 NEWS political editor Jessica Mutch McKay.

Covid

Seymour said New Zealand started with natural advantages" of being an island nation, but added "we need to get better, so we need to get Taiwan smart."

Mutch McKay asked if he was comfortable with the Government accessing people's personal dat a for tracing. 

"There’s clearly going to be a trade off between privacy and public health. Absolutely. It is very possible to protect people’s privacy."

Shaw said he found it "extraordinary that a libertarian party that stands up for the kind of freedoms that David keeps banging on about, would be willing to… the idea that the Government should be allowed to track people through data on their phone".

"I do think we’ve had an incredibly strong response."

Tamihere accused ACT's view of always being "one of privilege and entitlement, to say bang, this is how it’s going to go".

Peters also disagreed with Seymour, saying "the reality is New Zealand has gone marvelously well" in the Covid response.

"It was an all of government experience with no play books or no manual. We must not get loose or careless now."

Ross was asked if his anti-lockdown  rally with thousands of people was responsible. 

"It was the right thing to do," he said.

"What these guys are not answering, is what are the long term consequences of the Government's decision?"

Would you take a Covid vaccine and make it compulsory?

Shaw – "I would take it, we don’t believe in compulsory vaccines".
Tamihere - Agreed with Shaw.
Peters - "Of course I’d take it."
Seymour - "(I) want to know it was safe, yes of course, not compulsory".
Ross - "I wouldn’t take a rushed vaccine. Our party’s view is that it should be about choice, it shouldn’t be about discrimination."

The latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton poll. 

Green party support had dipped to 6%.

Asked if his party should have made a deal for the Auckland Central seat, Shaw said he wanted candidate Chlöe Swarbrick to win on merit and they were focused on party vote.

He said the Green Party would work in partnership with Labour if it were to be part of the next Government. 

"If the Greens don’t get in, we risk one party having all the power. Our planet is running out of time."

Tamihere said the Māori Party, which gained just 0.2% support, would only work with Labour, adding they stood "a very good chance" in the Māori seats. 

"All we’re seeking is the electorate vote."

NZ First pulled 2%, with Peters telling Mutch McKay, "You’ve done it to me over and over again and we’re going to defy your polls."

"On my information we’re in great shape and a surge going on. The people will decide, not your pollsters."

"For years we’ve defended vulnerable New Zealanders against political extremes. With Covid and economic fear on everybody’s mind, experience and common sense is needed in government now more than ever."

With ACT on 8%, Seymour pledged his party to be a "voice saying it’s not fair on the next generation to be saddled with the amount of debt there is". 

"It clearly is a bottom line if that’s the way you want to say it."

"There’s also an opportunity to rebuild a country we can all be proud of. That’s means confronting the new reality this virus is not going anywhere so we must be smarter in the way we adapt. We must be honest about the debt."

With Advance NZ on 1%, Ross said his party was "on track to win the Te Tai Tokerau seat". 

"The Parliament needs a new voice and new representation. Advance NZ is the party that can do that.

He said all other leaders would continue with lock downs and closed borders, but said the country needed "to learn to live with the virus".

Housing 

Peters said stability was needed in the market. 

"We inherited a massive problem of huge demand and little supply," he said. "We are way behind the demand ball still. We need an inquiry into cost of housing construction."

Tamihere said immigration needed to be curbed to meet supply requirements and a tax the second property was needed. 

Ross said what was needed was to flood market with supply, bring in shared equity and to rip up the RMA. 

Seymour said the RMA needed replacing with an urban development act, and Shaw said more state homes needed to be built. 

Governing partners 

Ross said the other party leaders at the debate were "reasonable people", but said the country needed a Government that would open borders and not bring in lock downs - "none of them would do that". 

Seymour said ACT could work with National. 

Should New Zealand become a republic when the Queen died

Tamihere said the closest he had ever been to the Queen was "licking a stamp". 

"We’re old enough to embark on our own conversation."

Peters said it should be up to New Zealanders, but said being in the Commonwealth helped at the UN. Seymour said that would be low on the priority list. 

New Zealand's dependence on China for trade

Ross said New Zealand needed to be harsher on China, and said it had "too many eggs in the China basket" and Peters also said there was too much dependence on one market.

Tamihere disagreed - "They’re an outstanding and huge economy, and we need to trade with them."

Seymour said the CCP did not "share many of our values" and said New Zealand needed to move away from China and diversify its trading partners. 

Quotas for Māori and Pacific students at medical school

Shaw and Tamihere both said there should be, while Peters called it "just tokenism". 

Should Government funding go to private schools

Shaw - no
Tamihere - no
Peters - yes
Seymour - yes
Ross - Support state-integrated and charter schools