Election 2020: Jacinda Ardern expects Judith Collins to play ‘a bit of bingo’ in tonight’s debate

Labor leader Jacinda Ardern has braced for a series of KiwiBuild attacks tonight saying that her opponent, national leader Judith Collins, will play “a bit of bingo” on the government’s housing record.

But Ardern says she is not concerned and says she is “happy to accept it” when it comes to criticism of that policy.

Collins, however, “will remind Ardern that the traffic on the Auckland Harbor Bridge is moving faster than his plans to move the country forward.”

The pair will meet in the first campaign leaders debate tonight, following a highly anticipated 1News / Colmar Brunton poll.

Ardern spent this morning touring the Buttabean Motivation Center in South Auckland, an organization that promotes weight loss, healthy eating and provides food boxes to the community.

Speaking to staff, the Labor leader did not appear to be overly concerned about the debate tonight.

A member of Buttabean joked about his “big day”, referencing the debate tonight.

“Oh that,” Ardern said, downplaying the confrontation tonight.

“I was thinking, ‘Is today the big day because of the level 2 move?'”

But when he spoke to the media after his walk, Ardern was firmly on the message: “I stand behind our record,” he said in response to his government’s housing policies.

“We will see the leader of the Opposition tonight play some bingo and he will probably hear the word ‘KiwiBuild’ a lot,” Ardern said.

“If that’s his only attack, I’m happy to accept it because I’m proud of our record.”

That record, he said, was more than a housing policy, which Ardern admitted this morning “did not meet our expectations.”

“No government has built as many houses as we have since the 1970s, and yes, we tried new things because we had a housing crisis.

“And I will be in favor of trying new things to improve the well-being of our community.”

She spoke about the government’s state housing construction history, saying it was “really happening at a rate.”

When asked about yesterday’s debate, Ardern said his preparation for the debate hasn’t changed much since his 2017 showdown with then-national leader Bill English.

“I see the debates as an opportunity for each of us, as leaders, to share our own vision and our own plans.

“I spend a little less time thinking about training with the person in front and a little more time communicating directly what our plans are.”

Meanwhile, Collins said he was “looking forward to the debate.”

“We are facing the biggest economic recession in living memory and this country needs to have a strong discussion on how to deal with the economic and employment crisis and get Kiwis back to work.”