Winston Peters flung a Botox quip at Judith Collins, James Shaw compared political parties to pies, and David Seymour had rare praise for the Prime Minister in their final speeches in Parliament before the election.
Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's speech outlining the Government's achievements, and Opposition leader Judith Collins' attempt to discredit it all, the minor parties New Zealand First, the Greens and ACT had the stage.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters used his speech to hit out at Collins. He described her speech as "eyebrow-raising stuff - and I don't use Botox" - a reference to Collins telling the media her raised eyebrow means she's joking.
Peters went on to criticise Collins and the National Party for not having "one new idea" and said he's proud of what's been achieved since Labour and New Zealand First aligned to form a Coalition Government in 2017.
"We stand on our record in office for what we've achieved, for honouring the commitments, for leaving the country in a better position after inheriting nine years of neo-liberal neglect. What's worse with these neo-liberals is they don't even understand the philosophy," Peters said.
"It shows up every day, because so many of them have never been in business, and their chief articulator wouldn't know what a business was or is, and that's the truth."
Peters, who was once a National MP, said he is "saddened" by the National Party.
"The National Party may be making a comeback sometime, but it's not any time soon. I'm saddened by that, because the people of this country need a sound, strong Opposition. They need people of talent and capability, and they need far better than what they're getting now."
Peters thanked Labour and their confidence and supply partner the Greens, for getting New Zealand First policies across the line, such as one eye test for superannuitants a year and one free doctor's visit.
"These are the far-sighted plans that New Zealand First has, and we thank the Labour Party and, dare I say it, the Greens for ensuring that this was maintained."
Green Party co-leader James Shaw did not thank New Zealand First, instead taking a swipe at Peters by seeming to suggest the veteran politician might not make it back into Parliament.
"It's always a pleasure to follow the Rt Hon Winston Peters in debate," Shaw said. "I'll miss it, to tell you the truth."
Shaw and Peters have been trading barbs in the lead-up to the election - Peters claiming to be the Government's handbrake on "woke pixie dust", and Shaw accusing Peters of breaching their coalition agreement by axing light rail plans.
Shaw went even further in his speech.
"I know everybody here is champing at the bit to get out and campaign around the country; trying out their new election slogans. There's Labour: 'Let's keep moving', New Zealand First: 'Let's not'."
The Green Party co-leader then compared political parties to pies.
"National want to grow the pie, Labour want to share the pie, ACT want you to get your own God damn pie, New Zealand First want a billion pies, and the Greens, of course, say that the growth of the pie is constrained by the size of the oven," he said.
"And whilst you're making pie, perhaps you should keep your oven clean otherwise your tamariki will get really sick. Look, I know that's not exactly bumper sticker material, but we reckon there's at least 5 percent in it."
ACT leader David Seymour, in his speech, gave rare praise to the Prime Minister over her handling of multiple crises New Zealand has faced during her leadership.
"I happen to like our Prime Minister as a person, and I admire what she's done holding people together at critical times of disaster. That's not the problem."
He said Ardern is not the right leader to face the economic impact of COVID-19.
"The problem is that the world is changing, and a different style of leadership is required. We require problem solving. We require an open debate about what exactly New Zealand's public health strategy is," Seymour said.
"At the moment, the Government would have it that we can either remain physically isolated from the world and borrow to paper over the cracks or we can open it up and people will die. In other words, they want us to be either dead broke or dead.
"I believe that this country deserves an open debate, not a state of fear; asking what we can do, not what we can't; going country by country when it comes to the border; working together with, not against, the private sector; and embracing technology to augment our public health response."
