Tonight Jacinda Ardern and Bill English have their second leaders debate of the campaign.
This one is being run by Patrick Gower and Newshub, and is being broadcast at 8:30 pm, and will also be live streamed:
Livestream: Newshub Leaders Debate
The first debate last Thursday seemed like a feeler for both of them. There could be more tactics used tonight.
First segment done – a lot feistier this time, more challenging of each other’s policies. Also too much rehearsed recital from both but it’s hard to limit that.
Most talked about line – when English was asked what his best attribute was for being Prime Minister, excluding experience, given he lost badly in 2002. “I got back up again.”
The clapping and cheering interruptions are annoying, stopping the flow.
Certainly more combative this time.
The main difference overall is ploddy old actuals versus vague aspiration and vision.
Your NZ 
Gezza
/ 4th September 2017Me tuakana & me are on the edge of our seats. 1ewes at 6 on plus one seens yo be backing BERL’s Ganesh Nana that he & Labour have got their sums right!
Corin Dann seems to be expecting a slugging match.
Gezza
/ 4th September 2017🙄 😠 * seens yo = seems to. I blame the government.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Was BERL ever going to come out and say they stuffed up even if they did?
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Just remember this tonight G…….
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017because stronger is better than strong….Adern needs to focus on deconstructing National spin in tonights debate.She was cautious and tolerant in the first.English lied about the JB Were conclusions on productivity in true Key style.
Corky
/ 4th September 20178:30 pm? Wrong time for busy tired people. Good though that it’s one and a half hours.
robertguyton
/ 4th September 2017Joyce’s “gotcha” is a deception. Deceit is National’s favourite tool.
Gezza
/ 4th September 2017Tbh I’ve always thort Steven is.
patupaiarehe
/ 4th September 2017Paddy Gower “Can you survive politics without lying?”
This is looking entertaining already 😉
patupaiarehe
/ 4th September 2017“What would you resign over Bill?” 😀
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Those 5000 builders are going to be very busy……..housing should be a strength and she is flapping about.
Blazer
/ 4th September 201740000 empty homes in Auckland. ..stop foreign buyers. .free up land.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Labour get in – taxpayers will leave the country freeing up heaps of houses!
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017Need a lift to the airport?
PDB
/ 4th September 2017As I mentioned ‘taxpayer’s’ you wont be leaving then?
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017Do you want a lift or do you own a..motel? Bol.
Brown
/ 5th September 2017Queenstown also has a large percentage of empty houses. Treat landlord’s houses as landlord owned and controlled houses rather than tenant owned and controlled houses and a big problem will be solved. The tenancy tribunal is a one sided disaster.
Corky
/ 4th September 2017Someone please pull Bills face up. Jacindas hair is perfect again. Rapunzel has nothing on this girl.
The stacked racially diverse front seats aren’t that impressed with Jacinda.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017What’s with all these Labour/Ardern ads during the debate talking about the debate?? Seems a bit off……makes it sound like the debate is a Labour production.
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017Rubber Billy is going. ..boing. .boing. .too little, too late.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Jacinda doesn’t even know her own immigration policy……….
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017What happened to Nationals. .free market?
Corky
/ 4th September 2017Clocking out at 9:30 to watch another fiction programme. Bill English the clear winner in my book. Sure, he’s all over the place, but Jacinda is just too vague. Love that hair though.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Bills looking extra confident and happy tonight.
Corky
/ 4th September 2017He grew in power as the night went on when I was watching.
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017You said you were watching something else.
Corky
/ 4th September 2017”Clocking out at 9:30 to watch another fiction programme. Bill English the clear winner in my book. ”
The Herald poll agrees. Back to the drawing board for you..Blazer.
Keith Diver
/ 4th September 2017Biggest lie so far by Bill English . Wages have kept ahead of inflation. For the last 9 years our wage rises have been CPI . We all know that’s a crock of shit.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017I thought chucking a few trainees & dole bludgers into construction and thinking 5000 of these people is needed when 55000 are needed in that industry even now was the biggest lie by far.
It must’ve just been a ‘vision’ Ardern had as it wasn’t based in reality.
Anne
/ 4th September 2017Patrick Gower why are you shutting Jacinda off and allowing Bill to talk over her – control the debate
Corky
/ 4th September 2017Because he’s the PM.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Sorry Anne – Ardern was just flapping her arms about in an effort to fly out of there.
Laurie Petherick
/ 4th September 2017Paddy, how about letting Jacinda have a decent day & shut Bill up!!!
Be fair!!!
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Sorry Laurie, by Ardern has nothing of substance to say anyhow……
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017Billys gunna fix everything. .he’s spent 9 years figuring out how to cock everything. .up.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017What’s with the panel? – apart from Matthew Hooton (who’s hardly Bill English’s best friend) we have three very wet left-wingers. Surely if you wanted the audience to provide an unbiased opinion then they should have been asked first before the so-called ‘experts’ had their opinions aired.
Pete George
/ 4th September 2017A poorly chosen panel – Hooton isn’t a great choice either and he seems uncomfortable,.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017He looks like the bloke that was left by himself with the boring folk at a party his wife forced him to go to.
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017Hooten is a fawning National sycophant. .especially since he got booted from TS.
Pete George
/ 4th September 2017Except that he isn’t a National supporter at all.
Blazer
/ 4th September 2017Who does he support?
PDB
/ 4th September 2017He has his own agenda.
Pete George
/ 4th September 2017He leans ACT. He also supports his clients, so it’s fuzzy as to who he is talking for,
Corky
/ 4th September 2017You seem to be having a bad night, Blazer. Like Jacinda.
dave1924
/ 4th September 2017Coming from a sycophant that is a bit wide of the mark… Thought you knew a self interested game player when you saw one Bol…
[I’m just teasing BOL….I don’t care who wins or or loses…]
Pete George
/ 4th September 2017Gezza
/ 4th September 2017Ok Bill won that one I think. Paddy definitely favoured Bill allowing him far more time to keep up a constant barragbof interruptions & allegations about the meaning & impavts of Labour policies, which Jacinda got nowhere near sufficient time to rebut befire the gopher cut her off again & again, but regardless, Jacinda came across as a dreamer. The claim about being in politics only to lift children out of poverty was utterly stupid. Imo
Gezza
/ 4th September 2017🙄 😡
* barragbof = barrage of
impavts = impacts
befire = before
PDB
/ 4th September 2017“The claim about being in politics only to lift children out of poverty was utterly stupid. Imo”
Especially considering Labours child poverty goals are less ambitious than what National have set themselves.
Gezza
/ 4th September 2017Yep. I think at that point she suddenly noticed he was holding the rug she’d been standing on.
It’s good news for you I think. You won’t be needing that 2nd job. 👍🏼
PDB
/ 4th September 2017Bad news G – if National needs Winston I’d rather National sit this term out, though I would relent & put up with that arrangement if the alternative left-wing govt was one without Winston causing havoc and/or keeping them in check.
Gezza
/ 4th September 2017Well, if you do end up needing a second job I think you should look for something other than the one that apparenly crossed your mind.
Gezza
/ 4th September 2017The hour is late. The house mallards are contentedly bedded down over the fence by the compost bins, Charlie keeping watch. (Oddly enough, Prettygirl sounds the alarms. Good lungs on that girl!)
The skies are clear. The air is reasonably still & balmy. The moon is popping in & out of the occasional cloud. The stream is in good flow. The wildlife is silent. Life is good.
I shall retire, I think, and assess the battle damage reports from the reportati on the morrow.
Goodnight.
Sir Gerald.
PDB
/ 4th September 2017For a blog that supports Winston old Whaleoil has gone a distinct shade of blue tonight – over 800 comments on their debate thread.