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National | Jacinda Ardern

Jacinda vs Judith - NZ's two top politicians go head to head


"Have you been waiting a long time for this?"
"No, today is another day."

Confident words from the first female National leader in 20 years as Judith Collins stepped out in front of media with her equally new No. 2, Gerry Brownlee.
It's the war of the women in this year's general election and they couldn't be more different.

National's new first lady was vowing to her voter base that she would do all she could to take out the popular Jacinda Ardern.
"There is no chance at all that I'm going to let Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern get away with any nonsense when it comes to our economy and doing her job."

Ardern, on the other hand, said she was more focused on the Covid-19 response plan than she is on the elections
"But I think that will be determined by whether or not New Zealanders see me focusing on what matters to them. I don't think politicking matters to them. I think they want me to focus on Covid-19 and I can assure them we are."

This is the first time in almost 20 years that the leaders of the two major parties are women and National's East Coast candidate, Tania Tapsell, says it's an exciting time for women.

Covid-19 focus

"It's a really exciting time that once again we have two women going head to head into this election. Judith Collins is going to do an excellent job but it was the National party who had the first woman prime minister in Jenny Shipley, so here we are once again going for it. And what an example we are for the rest of the world."

Nicknamed "the Crusher," Judith Collins is looking to push her party agenda.
"The common goal is to get rid of the current government, and to put in place a far better government for this country and what it's going to need. Particularly from an economic point of view."

But Labour's sweetheart is singing a different tune. "I accept there will be politicking this year, I accept we have an election but, if I'm being brutally honest, my mind hasn't been focused on that to date."

However, with the elections just around the corner, politics is the game and it's on.

Collins says her part is on track to where it's going.  "I think it's important we send some strong messages out to our base voters who have been a bit discombobulated. They need to know we're back on track and going to take the fight to the government.

"I can't wait to do that," she said, with some relish.

Ardern: "My focus,  time, my energy is going into our Covid-19 response and that is as it should be."

Regardless of the outcome there is one guarantee - New Zealand will have a female prime minister come October.