Election 2020: Should have gone to Specsavers – Judith Collins walked away from Auckland optometrist

Judith Collins and an Auckland optometrist disagreed on today’s campaign, with the national leader rejected from the central Auckland eyewear store.

Collins took a walk in Ponsonby, where she was greeted by strategically located national supporters some 20 meters away, prompting complaints from a “rental crowd.”

But when Collins went to sign in at an eyewear store, the staff inside said, “No, we don’t want you here” before giving him the go-ahead.

Collins downplayed it and blamed the media pack that followed her.

Collins got off to an enthusiastic start to his walk down Ponsonby Rd ​​with Auckland Central candidate Emma Mellow and National MP Melissa Lee.

“Shall we go shopping, girls?” Declared Collins.

Collins was in Auckland Central to show his support for Mellow in the tight three-horse race for the disputed seat.

After meeting and greeting fierce National fans along the way, Collins was faced with questions about whether his ride “was a little fake.”

However, his deputy Gerry Brownlee says it is perfectly normal for supporters to know when the leader will visit his constituency to avoid disappointment later.

But First New Zealand leader Winston Peters was quick to call it a “mob hire” and said that all political parties were guilty of it except his own.

“It’s a lot of people and you’re falling in love,” Peters said.

“With all due respect, the media is falling in love with the people for hire to the crowd holding up the National, Labor, Greens and everyone else’s poster. You see me doing that?

“No, this is a campaign of true believers and they will all go home.”

Colmar Brunton’s Q + A poll on Sunday put Labor candidate Helen White leading with 35 points, Mellow with 30 and the Greens candidate Chloe Swarbrick with 26.

Mellow said the poll encouraged her and that she was “working hard every day” meeting with voters to win their support, as it is her only chance to enter Parliament without a ranking on the list.

Collins spoke warmly of Mellow, saying, “She is someone who puts a very sensible head on her shoulders and is a very good team player and I love that. And she is one of the nice people around.”

Many of the people the trio met on their walk knew and supported Mellow.

Less than 5 meters into their walk they met their first supporter outside the Ponsonby International Foodcourt, who said that, as a member of Bluegreens, he was saving the environment.

“Good for you and I’m saving the economy,” Collins said.

“I’m having a lot of fun.”

Five seconds later, Collins, Lee, and Mellow met their next blue-clad supporter, then had to walk just another 45 seconds to meet another party loyalist who congratulated the National leader on her performance in The Press’s debate. last night.

Just down the street, a business owner was waiting to meet the trio before meeting former National staff member and Mellow’s campaign manager Hamish Price waiting for them on a corner.

Although not everyone they encountered was so excited to meet them. When Collins went to sign at an eyewear store, the staff inside said, “No, we don’t want you here” before giving him the go-ahead.

Collins downplayed it and blamed the media pack that followed her.

At the Foxtrot Cafe in Ponsonby Central, where the women finished their 250-meter walk, a Skittles poll put Labor far ahead with their bottle at least three times as full as National’s.

Collins, Mellow and Lee voted diligently with their one-of-a-kind blue Skittle.

They were later asked by the media if the ride was “a bit fake.”

“No, I have a lot of fans here in Auckland Central and they wanted a chance to meet Judith, so I invited them,” Mellow said.

Collins said what the walk showed was how little foot traffic there was in Ponsonby and how many businesses were suffering. He then brushed off questions about whether putting followers in his path was legitimate.

Peters later called the move “renting to a crowd” and Labor leader Jacinda Ardern said it was not something her team did “that I know of.”

But Brownlee, who is a campaign chairman, said all parties did so because it was a courtesy for supporters to inform them when a leader visited his constituency.

He said Peters should search a rental crowd himself.

Collins said she was also determined to remain the leader of National even if the party fails to seize power in the election.

“Yes, I’ll stay,” he told reporters today after being asked about his post-election plan if National was unsuccessful.

Collins, who said he was still having fun, said he was also not focusing on whether the leaked email from Denise Lee had hurt National’s chances of winning the election.

“I think people are very focused on their lives and … I’m not worried about nonsense.”