Chris Hipkins denies Labour is running a "nasty" campaign and is accusing National of being "thin-skinned" getting offended by attack adverts targeted at Christopher Luxon.
The Labour leader showed up to a press conference on Monday afternoon prepared with examples of negative adverts that Hipkins said National MPs and right-wing groups have shared about him and Labour MPs.
"This one here, I was particularly touched by this actually, this is myself and David Parker on what appears to be Russian horses. I actually think I look quite good on a horse to be frank," Hipkins said while holding an advertisement about him from the Taxpayers Union.
It comes after the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) on Monday morning launched a campaign accusing Luxon of being "out of touch" and "too much risk".
National campaign chair Chris Bishop hit back, calling it "nasty" and "in lockstep with Hipkins in running the most negative election campaign seen in decades".
Hipkins, who denied Labour was running a nasty campaign, later said he was aware the CTU would be running an election advertisement campaign but hadn't personally seen the adverts before their debut.
He said the point of the CTU campaign was to raise "some legitimate concerns" about National Party policies. NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff has criticised National policies like abolishing Fair Pay Agreements and reinstating 90-day trials.
The Labour leader also had examples of attack ads that he said the National Party and other groups, like the Taxpayers Union, had run about him.
"[They] have been running attack ads against me and the Labour Government since the day I took on the job. I haven't called a press conference or issued a media statement every time they have done that."
He said if National was going to issue statements complaining about adverts every time, " they need to rethink whether or not they are cut out to be in Government".
"I think it is incredibly thin-skinned. But let's be clear about what this is. They are desperately trying to distract attention away from the fact that they have been caught out with the numbers and their policies just not stacking up."
National released a major tax plan last week, but Labour has questioned if the costings of some its revenue-gathering measures are accurate.
Among the adverts Hipkins showed off was one with his face "photoshopped onto a packet of band-aids". He said he "particularly enjoyed" that one and claimed it was National that shared it.
Another, from the Taxpayers' Union, " was a very flattering one of Grant Robertson doing some vacuuming".
National has been taking issue with how Labour has been presenting its policies online.
Last week, Labour posted on social media claiming a National-ACT coalition would reintroduce interest to student loans if elected. Neither party has such a policy, and Labour removed that line.
"Labour has been caught out repeatedly spreading disinformation about National's policies and it seems Hipkins will stop at nothing to cling to power," Bishop said on Monday.
"We can take six weeks of Labour's lies and attacks, but Kiwis can't take another three years of Labour's reckless economic mismanagement. "
Both National and Labour launched their campaigns over the weekend, with National using the opportunity to release a pledge card and Labour announcing a free dental care policy for under 30s.
Parliament rose last Thursday with the election set down for October 14.
