Former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is describing David Seymour's comments about banishing the Labour Party as "third world stuff".
It comes after Seymour, the ACT Party leader, reacted to Monday night's poll results with an email to constituents.
In the email, Seymour called the results - which showed the Opposition bloc could form a Government - the result of the Coalition having an "inflation hangover" instead of a post-election honeymoon.
He also hit out at Labour, the former governing party, saying if voters punished the Coalition for "the inflation and debt of the last" Government, "New Zealand will get the bad medicine back".
"What's become clear today is that Labour, who should be banished, could be back. And back with two very bad sidekicks," Seymour said, referring to prospective coalition parties the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
When asked about Seymour's comments by reporters on Tuesday, Labour leader Hipkins said it was "desperate language".
"Parties who are confident in themselves in Government don't talk about banishing their opponents - that's generally third-world stuff."
Hipkins went on to say he was being "very realistic" about the poll.
"It is a snapshot in time and, as I've said... there are 2.5 years to go and we have a lot of work to do.
"New Zealanders voted for change at the last election and the message for us from that is that we need to change as well."
Seymour, when asked on Tuesday to clarify his "banished" comments, said Labour "shouldn't be on the Treasury benches".
"They've been reckless, they're run up huge amounts of debt - that's led to high inflation and... high interest rates which are hurting Kiwi families."
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