Jacinda Ardern Says Judith Collins ‘Morally Wrong’ About Climate Change, ‘Desperate’ About Wealth Tax

Labor Party Leader Jacinda Ardern is ignoring Judith Collins’ claim that the Labor leader lied about Covid-19 testing at the border.

And Ardern has launched some verbal criticisms of her own, calling the National Party leader “morally wrong” on climate change, “desperate” with her continuing claims about the Greens’ wealth tax, and “simplistic” in her comments on the personal responsibility and obesity. .

With just four days to go until Election Day, the war of words between Labor and national leaders shows no signs of slowing down.

Ardern and Collins spent the day in the Wellington region, propping up the campaigns of local candidates in marginal seats, including Hutt South.

This morning, Collins told the media that Ardern had lied about the border workers’ tests and hoped the Labor leader would sue her because he was “happy to prove it.”

And Collins continued to pose to the Greens the scenario of Labor folding and the adoption of its wealth tax in post-election negotiations.

Ardern has repeatedly dismissed this as “fiction” and “misinformation,” and he did it again today.

“I’ve said the same thing about this policy no less than probably 50 times. I’ve discarded it,” Arden said.

“What you are seeing from the National Party, frankly, is desperate.”

She dismissed being called a liar because of the border tests as “opposition politics.”

The government had said on June 23 that all border workers would be screened periodically, and Ardern had publicly said it was happening.

When he learned during the second outbreak that it was not happening, he brought in Heather Simpson and Sir Brian Roche to make sure the tests were implemented.

When asked about Collins’ comments on obesity, saying it was an individual problem and that people should take personal responsibility, Ardern said there were many contributing factors.

“If it’s too simplistic to just call it a personal liability problem, then it will never be a problem that we collectively solve,” Ardern said.

“It’s wrong. If you listen to those who work in this space, those who are experts, they would reject that, and so would I.”

Ardern’s sentiment is supported by Dr. Cat Pause, a Fat Studies scholar at Massey University, who said Collins’s comments were “ruthless.”

Ardern also responded yesterday to Collins’ suggestion that the Labor leader was subservient to the Greens when it came to coalition talks.

“I’m not someone who brings chocolate chip cookies to the negotiating table to show submission,” Collins said.

Ardern: “I brought gingerbread [in 2017 talks]. And that’s just good baking. “

A visit to the factory, a walk and a rally of hundreds of people

Ardern began her day in Petone with a visit to the Abstract Design factory, where she observed laser cutting technology in action and played with wooden cutouts of herself, her partner Clarke Gayford, and Grant Robertson.

She then visited the Queensgate Mall, where she was greeted with cheers from hundreds of fans.

Watching the masses around Ardern move slowly through the mall, Tania Singh said the attention was understandable given New Zealand’s Covid-free status.

“I have brothers all over the world and New Zealand is where everyone wants to be.”

Lynette Frost was one of hundreds who waited patiently for a selfie.

“I love Jacinda, but my vote was different. I’m an old farmer. I support farmers.”

Joining Ardern was Labor MP and candidate Ginny Anderson, who hopes to turn the Hutt South seat red.

It is in the hands of national MP Chris Bishop, who beat Anderson in 2017 by a margin of 1,530 votes.

This morning, the bishop re-committed to the Granada-Petone link road, but Anderson said he wanted to see a business case for the road.

Ardern then headed to the University of Victoria, where he told hundreds of students and party supporters not to follow in his footsteps – he had dropped out of Victoria.

He used his speech to attack Collins, without naming her, on climate change.

Collins has repeatedly spoken about New Zealand’s small contribution to global emissions – 0.17 percent.

“Anyone who argues that our small contribution to emissions means that no matter what we do, it is wrong,” Ardern said.

“They are morally wrong.”

She compared it to New Zealand’s nuclear-weapon-free stance in the 1980s, which was adopted despite the fact that nuclear weapons “had no direct link to us.”

“We deal with climate change in the same way and say: ‘We all have a moral obligation to act.’

“But especially in the Pacific. If we don’t see action on climate change, we are essentially telling our Pacific neighbors that they don’t matter and that we will never do that.”

Ardern had tried to portray climate change as a key point of difference between her and Collins, repeating today that New Zealand needed to play a role and trade under its “clean and green” brand.

She said at the rally that the elections were about trust and that people should vote for “a government they can believe in.”