Labour leader Jacinda Ardern and National leader Judith Collins took part in the TVNZ leaders debate on Thursday night.
It was their fourth and final debate together before election day and it was more tame than their previous clashes.
Here's a wrap of their final debate together.
Child poverty and material hardship
Ardern said she stands by her record on child poverty, saying seven out of nine child poverty measures improved under her leadership.
"No one for a moment would believe we could fix an issue that takes decades to build in three years," she said.
"I'm not done yet. I'm asking for people to support us and continue the progress we've made."
Earlier this week, Ardern promised to halve child poverty by 2030. The Child Poverty Action Group challenged her to dip into the $14 billion COVID-19 recovery fund to fix the problem now, but Ardern said she wants to keep this money aside for a potential resurgence.
"We have made a significant investment over these last three years in making sure that we're providing things like food in schools, lifting the benefit rate for those who are on the lowest incomes, lifting minimum wage, all the things that make a difference."
Collins said child poverty has "got worse" under Ardern.
"If you look at kids living in material hardship, which means they can't get to a doctor in time, things like that, are 4100 more than they were when Miss Ardern took office."
Collins added she would like to halve child poverty by 2030 too, and one way she would do that is by getting adults into work.
Fruit pickers from the Pacific
The leaders were asked if they'd be prepared to make an exception for fruit pickers to travel from the Pacific to help New Zealand growers out.
Ardern said she would be prepared to look into this issue, but she would also look at regions that have shortages of workers and put New Zealand job seekers into those roles.
"We have to prioritise getting those who are seeking work into work, but at the same time, no one wants to see fruit rot on the ground."
Since enough New Zealanders aren't actively applying for these roles, she said barriers to work need to be assessed to help train and support people into fruit picking jobs.
Collins said National would make this an urgent priority.
"We can't wait around. So with the horticultural industry, for instance, they can't wait around because their fruit needs to be picked when it needs to be picked," she said.
"It's really important to remember that these are big industries for us… it's not just one year they lose, it's more."
The Greens' wealth tax
Ardern again reiterated she wouldn't implement the Greens' wealth tax policy.
The Greens have proposed that a 1 percent tax should be paid on net worth over a million dollars.
"I've made my view absolutely clear. New Zealanders deserve certainty on something as important as tax policy," Ardern said.
"Any suggestion that is counter to what I have clearly stated time and time again is mischievous and frankly desperate."
Collins believes Ardern will implement at least one of the Greens' tax requests.
"I absolutely believe they're going to do it. Why? Because James Shaw, Chloe Swarbrick, even the Labour Party minister Peeni Henare has said they'll be talking about a capital gains tax," Collins said.
Ardern said these attacks on Labour wanting to implement this policy is a "desperate political strategy" to get votes and it is "wrong".
"We said we would campaign on fact, that we would play it straight. This is a blatant campaign of misinformation that I'm putting an end to. I've made my view absolutely clear and my intention absolutely clear. To imply otherwise is just wrong."
Ardern won't remain as leader if she loses the election
Ardern was asked if she'd stay as Prime Minister for a full term if she was re-elected next week, to which she said "yes". But gave a straight "no" when asked if she'd stay as leader if she loses.
In a press conference after the debate, she said the reason she wouldn't stay on as Opposition leader is because she's been in politics long enough to know the right time to move on.
"If you don't successfully lead your party through an election then it is time to move on. That's what I would do, and that's certainly been my experience in politics."
Collins said if she doesn't become Prime Minister next week, her National Party caucus should keep her in the role of leader because she's doing a "very good job".
"Nobody can say that I'm not putting everything into it, and I think that we need very strong leadership."
