Opinion - Jacinda Ardern had a simple question in her second leaders' debate against Bill English: Are you doing okay, New Zealand? David Slack dissects the debate.
Jacinda Ardern and Bill English during the second leaders' debate Photo: Supplied / Michael Bradley
And so on to the second debate, smoothly moderated by Jacinda Ardern, with slightly jumpy performances by the menfolk.
Poor old Paddy Gower. You sit and talk with him and he's full of calm, thoughtful insight. Put him in a ratings-hungry newsroom, and he just can't stop looking for the next gimmicky question, the next sensational headline.
This was not the debate of last week. No blinking, no nervousness from Jacinda Ardern, and when the foolishness started, a stronger firmer voice and an expression that said 'if you think I'm going to let you get away with that you can think again'.
Bill English was also there. The odd thing about his affable manner is that you can be a long way into the debate before it occurs to you: this man is the actual prime minister. He had a pet speech which he bolted onto the back of as many answers as he could, something about nine years of getting things ready and the next three years. Just you watch, we're going to go like a rocket, tell you what.
You can frame the questions of this election in any shape you want, it comes down to the same thing in the end: How do you feel about the cost of houses, voter? How do you feel about the cost of living? How do you feel about the state of things?
In that sense, Ardern had the most relevant rhetorical question of the night: "How do you feel," she asked the average voter. Are you doing okay, New Zealand?
Jacinda Ardern Photo: Supplied / Michael Bradley
Paddy had his imaginative and wacky questions ready: on capital gains tax; on child poverty; on truthfulness, with a follow up 'ambush' question about 450 text messages that couldn't have been semaphored more loudly if the whole thing had been a Christmas panto.
"The houses are coming," promised the prime minister. "You've had nine years," said the prime-minister-in-waiting, "you've been subsidising the rental market instead of building state houses."
"Their numbers don't add up," said the prime minister, diving into the $11 billion hole he believes he can see in Labour's costings. "I think not," said the prime-minister-in-waiting, who gave names of various commentators and independent experts who also see no hole.
"Yes there is!" asserted the PM, spoiling for a smackdown. But this was not going to be a "show me the money, son" moment, not like John Key got with poor old Phil Goff the election before last.
Jacinda Ardern was having none of it. "Let's address the elephant in the room," she said, "what they're trying to do here is destroy our economic credibility." She offered a crisp robust rebuttal. Last time in office they ran up nine surpluses and set the incoming government up for a good good run when the GFC hit, she said. The numbers, pal, they add up.
Bill English Photo: Supplied / Michael Bradley
Cue bickering, cue raised voices, cue the best move of the night by Jacinda Ardern: "Let's be fair to voters," she said, "this is just going to sound like bickering politicians and let's be honest, we knew that would happen."
She was composed, she was open, she was clear, a prime-minister in-waiting, voice of a new generation, at home in the 21st century.
But still the prime minister wasn't having it. Paddy told him: "That's enough." He kept going. Paddy told him again: "We've got to move on."
Jacinda Ardern said: "Let him keep talking please."
Look back at how the debate developed with RNZ's live blog here.
