Labour leader Jacinda Ardern and National leader Judith Collins are going head-to-head in the final leaders debate before the election.
What you need to know:
- The debate begins at 7pm
- Tonight's debate marks the fourth between the two leaders
- In Newshub's debate, both leaders said the discussion had "loads of energy", with Collins believing it was more enjoyable than their first televised debate
- The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll shows Labour on 50.1 percent down 10.8 points while National was on 29.6 percent up 4.5 points
- The same poll showed more than half of New Zealanders - 53.2 percent - prefer Ardern as Prime Minister while 17.7 percent would rather Collins
These live updates have finished.
8pm - We're onto closing statements.
Ardern says every vote for Labour is a vote for a "strong and stable government".
"I'm asking that we stick together and keep moving."
Collins says New Zealanders "need a party" that understands business, that can pay down debt and that can make "decisive decisions".
"It is really important that our children want to have a future here."
7:58pm - Ardern says while there's a need for robust debate in Parliament, it's important people can see themselves represented there too.
Collins says it's important politics is entertaining too.
"Politics is the most interesting career that I have had," she says. "I find it a most thrilling and exciting thing."
7:56pm - Ardern has thanked Collins for the speech she gave in Parliament following the March 15 attacks in Christchurch.
Collins says Ardern has been putting her heart and soul into her job.
"That's a good thing."
7:55pm - Ardern says she enjoys campaigning because she gets time to talk to the public.
Collins says while she enjoys meeting New Zealanders, she has missed some things.
"I won't miss not being home to have dinner with my husband and son - that is something I have been missing."
7:52pm - We're onto the final questions.
The topic is leadership. Ardern says she will stay on for a full term as Prime Minister if she's reelected, but won't stay on as leader if she loses.
Collins says "that's the life of opposition".
"I'm focussed on the people of New Zealand," she says. "I know I have backing."
7:46pm - Next up is climate change.
Ardern says this is a chance to turn what has been framed as a crisis into an opportunity.
"We trade on our brand - we do need to make changes to clean tech."
Collins says conversations need to be had about using sciences.
"We have to use science to produce crops better."
7:44pm - Ardern has reiterated again she won't implement the Greens' wealth tax.
"Any suggestion that is counter to what I have stated is misguided and frankly desperate," she says.
Collins believes Ardern will implement one of the Greens' tax suggestions.
Ardern labels this a "desperate political strategy".
Collins says there have been so many policies made and "almost no delivery".
Ardern says she wouldn't stand on a stage and call someone a liar, but that is "unfortunately what Judith has done".
Collins says there are "lots of things" National agrees with ACT on, such as "cutting red tape".
If Winston Peters is in the mix following the election, Ardern says she'll work with him again. Collins says the National caucus has "made it clear" they won't "sell out" to Peters.
7:35pm - Ardern says she considers her job a "privilege".
"I know there are other people who could do this job. No matter what crisis is thrown my way, you can be assured I give my everything."
Collins says she brings "real business experience".
"In a time of grave economic uncertainty, that is something I bring. Also the ability to make decisions."
7:33pm - Collins says people who want to come to New Zealand to live with their Kiwi partners will need to be taken on a case by case basis.
Ardern says New Zealand is "very lucky" to have this type of debate.
"This is testament to the fact our COVID strategy has worked - our restrictions are part of the reason we are safe."
7:31pm - On supporting St John ambulances, Ardern says she will ensure those services never stop, but wouldn't commit to fully funding them.
Collins says she will always ensure St John is funded.
7:30pm - Collins says her faith already plays a role in her job.
"I'm a liberal Anglican," she says.
Ardern says she doesn't subscribe to a particular religion, even though she was brought up as a Mormon.
"I respect people no matter their beliefs," she says.
One reason she's agnostic now is because she doesn't want her beliefs to get in the way of her job, she says.
7:29pm - Up next is fruit pickers coming from the Pacific to do the job.
Ardern says she wants to match jobseekers in New Zealand into those roles, but also admits she doesn't want to see fruit "rot on the ground".
"We need to look to the barriers to work and train and support people into those roles."
Collins says the horticultural industry can't wait.
"These are big industries to us. It's not just by one year they lose."
7:22pm - The next topic is Māori issues.
Ardern admits there are areas her government hasn't made progress in, including the number of children in state care.
Collins says she isn't comfortable with different justice systems.
Ardern complimented Collins' rangatahi courts system. Ardern also wants to ensure there are seats at the table for Māori.
"We should be trying to do things differently."
7:20pm - Next up is housing.
Ardern says for many people, their home is their asset.
"We haven't been building houses at the affordable range," she says.
Collins says it's important to focus on increasing the supply of houses.
Ardern also admits a home deposit is a hurdle to ownership.
"I don't want first home buyers to be determined by whether their parents help them."
7:17pm - The next topic is poverty.
Ardern this week promised to halve child poverty by 2030. She was challenged to dip into the COVID-19 recovery fund to help complete this goal, but she wants to keep this money aside for a potential resurgance.
On child poverty, she says she's made "significant investment" over the past three years, including implementing free school lunches.
"We cancelled the last National government's tax cuts," she adds.
Collins says children living in material hardship has "got worse".
"When you're talking about transformational change, it's just got worse."
Collins says she would also like to halve child poverty by 2030. She says increasing the number of jobs will help.
"If we could possibly do that, yes we could [have that child poverty target]," she says.
Ardern responded by saying that "requires a plan".
Collins says she would put more money into the party's first 1000 days plan.
7:08pm - The debate has opened with the latest Colmar Brunton poll numbers. Labour is on 46 percent and National is on 31 points.
Ardern says she stands by her "transformational" record over the past three years, including on child poverty.
"I'm not done yet."
She adds she hasn't seen a need to make an alliance similar to what National and ACT have for Epsom.
"Those parties are polling strongly anyway - local representation matters to us."
On these poll numbers, Collins says the undecided voters will make their minds up on election day, and she believes National could attain some of these votes.
She says it's important for people to vote for the major parties.
Collins believes many people have turned out early because they've already decided who they're voting for.
"Traditionally, a lot of National voters will vote on the last day. It is part of that community spirit," she says.
"I hope they don't regret voting the wrong way."
Ardern says people have made up their mind up and are "done" with the election.
"People's minds are on the future, they want to know what's next," she says.
7pm - The final leaders debate has begun.
6:40pm - A new Newshub-Reid Research poll shows nearly half of Kiwis think the wealthy should be taxed more.
The Greens have proposed that a tax should be paid on wealth over a million dollars.
However, the only tax Ardern will add is the higher income tax rate on those earning over $180,000.
The poll asked voters if Labour should have gone further in taxing the wealthiest New Zealanders.
Opinion was split, but more voters - 48.7 percent - said yes while 43 percent said no and 8 percent didn't know.
A majority of Labour's own voters - nearly 60 percent - wanted them to go further, while a third of National voters think so too.
But here's a surprise: a quarter of the Greens' supporters think the wealthy should not be taxed further.
Green Party co-leader James Shaw said: "We've heard from a number of people who are millionaires who've said actually, they would happily contribute more in tax."
5:45pm - Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has dismissed Collins' "desperate" attack on the prospect of her becoming Deputy Prime Minister.
Collins took a crack at the Greens on Wednesday and ramped up speculation that Labour would adopt their wealth tax policy despite Ardern ruling it out.
Collins accused the Greens of not paying tax before entering politics and warned her crowd of supporters that if Labour and the Greens formed a coalition, Davidson could become Deputy Prime Minister.
"I think they should be very concerned... the Deputy Prime Ministership of Marama Davidson would be challenging I think for the country," Collins told a crowd of supporters in Hamilton.
Davidson said on Thursday Collins' attack was desperate.
"Sounds like a desperate bid for the National Party who, unfortunately, their campaign has been in complete and utter chaos," she told Newshub during a visit to Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae in Auckland.
Collins reminded her supporters about Davidson saying "tax is love" during an interview with TVNZ in July during a discussion about inequality. Collins stirred up speculation that the Greens will force Labour to go ahead with a wealth tax.
But Davidson and co-leader James Shaw confirmed to The AM Show on Thursday that a wealth tax is not a bottom line for the Greens in any coalition negotiations and that it's just one of their top priorities.
5:30pm - The National Party and the Labour Party have posted on social media urging their followers to back their respective leaders in the debate tonight.
5:15pm - Collins spoke to Magic Talk's Ryan Bridge on Thursday about National's internal polling dropping "down to the 20s" before she became leader, and says she won't step down because the caucus backs her.
Three months into the job, Collins told Bridge about the tumultuous role of Opposition leader and how she plans to win an election against a popular incumbent Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
"Leader of the Opposition I've always said to people is the worst job in politics. It was basically thrust upon me by some people who said 'you've just got to do it, Judith, you've just got to do it'."
Despite the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll showing National on 29.6 percent against Labour on 50.1 percent, Collins insists there is still a path to victory for her party and that she's the right person to lead it.
"I've just found how much fun it is. I mean it's like, there's not a lot of sleep and I don't get much time at home," she laughed.
"But I tell you what, I really love it. I love going out and visiting people, I love doing public meetings - way, way, way, way love public meetings, better than almost anything else."
Bridge asked Collins if that's a bit like the captain of the Titanic saying he loves sailing.
"No, I think that I've been able to - working with the team - rejuvenate and galvanise our base and that is really important. They're out there volunteering all over the country," she said.
"I just think we've got a real chance. Obviously we're not the favourites. We're certainly not the media favourites. But I tell you what, we've got a good chance."
