While on the campaign trail in Matamata Judith Collins said she ‘really enjoyed’ last night’s debate. Video / Jason Walls
National leader Judith Collins has called the Labour leader "a poor wee thing" as she fires shots at her political rival after going head-to-head in their first debate.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters in her hometown of Matamata, Collins said if Jacinda Ardern couldn't handle the heat, she shouldget out of the kitchen.
The party leaders have been giving their post-match analyses today after the first leaders' debate last night.
Collins called Ardern "a poor wee thing" because in an interview after the TVNZ debate, Ardern said politics "was not a blood sport".
"I think over the course of the debates, nobody will be left in any question as to our style, the leadership we bring and the ideas we have."
Collins and her team are in Matamata today, making various stops along the campaign trail.
She is from this area – a traditionally blue seat - and has a strong support base in the region.
Collins was in high spirits after last night's debate, where she declared herself the winner.
But, on current polling numbers, National's support is trailing Labour's, which could govern alone on the 1News/Colmar Brunton numbers.
Collins said she really enjoyed the debate and she'd had feedback from people in her hometown that they liked she "tells it straight".
During the town hall meeting, Collins was asked about farmers' mental wellbeing and said the best thing the Government can do for farmers is to back them, and getting them to talk about mental health.
There needs to be an understanding that its okay to say "I'm not feeling well", she said.
She was holding back tears when talking about this, telling those in attendance that talking about this issue makes her emotional, as she comes from a farming background.
"I look at it and think, 'every farmer, and every farmers' family needs to know that theirs is valuable work' - that's the best thing we can do."
She said this was something that rural women live with every day.
"Rural women are not immune to mental health issues - I will always stand up for farmers."
Collins said today Ardern made a "massive failure" last night when they were sparring over the farming sector.
During the debate, Collins said: "I've got young dairy farmers saying to me, 'I'm only a dairy farmer' because they feel they have the weight of the world on them".
Ardern replied that it "feels to me like a view of the world that has passed".
"When I meet with our dairy sector … they absolutely see the need for us to be competitive in this environment," Ardern said.
"We've got Australian farmers talking about climate change - there's an inevitability here we have to face, but they are the ones talking about sustainability."
Referring to this exchange today, Collins called this a "massive failure" in Ardern's messaging and said New Zealand got to hear "exactly what Jacinda Ardern thinks about farming".
"I think she was very clear, she thinks this is a sunset industry."
Ardern said today that was "absolutely not what I said" instead was saying Collins' was presenting "an old view of farming".
There have also been criticisms today about the lack of questions in the debate about Māori issues.
Ardern said she'd welcome the opportunity to "delve into some of those issues" and believed there'd be "more of a contrast" between the parties' views.
