2020 Election: Mike Hosking and Judith Collins – Newstalk ZB Leaders’ Breakfast

National leader Judith Collins is being questioned about why her party should lead New Zealand through a pandemic and the economic fallout during Newstalk ZB’s first leaders breakfast today.

Mike Hosking will ask Collins the questions for two hours, starting at 7 am.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will face off next Monday, while laying out her alternative vision for the country.

Listen live on Newstalk ZB and iHeart Radio, and watch the live stream and updates here.

The leaders’ breakfast comes less than two weeks before the general election and in the midst of a global health crisis and an economic crisis the likes of which we have never seen before.

So which leader has the answers to overcome this?

Topics this morning will include:

• National policy platform.

• Reaction to any criticism of party policy.

• How will a nationally led government differ from the current regime?

• Controversies of the last three years.

• Performance of National in Opposition during the past legislature.

• Current poll.

In yesterday’s election campaign, Collins cast his early vote at St Thomas Tāmaki, stopping at the chapel to offer a prayer beforehand; the national leader has frequently mentioned her Christian faith in recent days.

Collins revealed that he voted in favor of the end-of-life election bill and against the cannabis control and legalization bill. He has criticized Labor leader Jacinda Ardern for her refusal to say whether she will vote in favor of legalizing cannabis.

Ardern cast his vote Saturday at Mt Albert, just hours after the early voting period began.

And yesterday, the Labor leader pledged an additional $ 55 million over four years in a series of initiatives to end rheumatic fever. Most of the money will go to bolster the Healthy Homes initiative, which sets minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, humidity and drainage.

Elections Commission Director of Elections Alicia Wright has said early voting could account for 60 percent of the total number of votes. In 2017, early voting was 47 percent.

The commission has been encouraging people to get out early and vote. The last day of the voting period is October 17.

The latest 1 News Colmar Brunton poll, released today a week ago, showed that Labor was still comfortably ahead at 48 percent, but would need the Greens, who were voting 7 percent, to form a government.

National managed to rise to 33%, 2% more than in the same survey the previous week.

Mike Hosking’s Leadership Breakfast with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will air at 7 am on Monday, October 12.

The Leaders’ Breakfast with the leaders of NZ First, the Green Party and Act will begin at 7:30 am on Thursday, October 8.