The two women vying for the nation’s top job at next month’s general election faced off in a sometime fiery televised leaders debate. 

Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Judith Collins traded blows over the country’s Covid-19 response. 

They also locked horns on pressing issues like New Zealand’s ballooning debt, housing, health, poverty and infrastructure, including the need for a second Auckland Habour crossing.  

The TVNZ debate came just an hour after a 1News Colmar Brunton poll showed Labour would be able to govern alone based on latest polling numbers, with Ardern on 54 per cent as preferred prime minister compared to Collins’ 18 per cent.  

Asked about the poll, Collins referenced the second lockdown which had stopped the momentum of campaigning. 

She also said it shows there were a lot of undecided voters (14 per cent) and National would be targeting them. 

Some Opposition leaders in the past would have "crawled over broken glass" to get that high in the polls, Collins said. 

She added that she was “a fighter" who wouldn’t give up.  

Ardern said Labour wasn’t complacent and praised her government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

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"Our Covid-19 response has been successful.” 

Border security was central to that success, she said, saying other countries had not enjoyed the sense of normality that New Zealand had. 

But Collins criticised the Government’s Covid response. 

National wouldn't let people on a plane to New Zealand without a Covid test, she said. 

And returnees should be charged to be quarantined. 

When Ardern referenced the fact that police were guarding the isolation facilities, Collins said "this can’t continue”. 

Police should be dealing with family violence and crime in the community, Collins said. 

Pressed on lapses at the border, Ardern said there had been eight incidents of people escaping managed isolation among 50,000 who’d come through isolation so far. 

"Right now, we have to just accept there are limitations to safe border management," Ardern said. 

Collins, however, said that was "not enough". 

Her Government would give the same treatment to important seasonal workers as Ardern had given to professional rugby players, Collins said. 

Asked about kids leaving school so they could support their parents financially, Ardern said she didn't want any young person feeling like they needed to leave school. 

The first step was to create higher paying jobs. 

She said her Government had raised the minimum wage and that would continue. 

But Collins the minimum wage would not go up under National. 

The Government had to get people into trades and jobs. 

National’s proposed tax cut would give lower income people more money - it would do that with middle New Zealand too. 

"I shouldn't get a tax cut right now," Ardern said. 

"Well give it back then," Collins replied. 

On inequality, Ardern said the Government needed s to keep building state houses, and continuing to pay the living wage. 

"We have seen too many children in poverty." 

Collins took aim at KiwiBuild - saying the Government failed to meet its own expectations. 

Her response was to reform the RMA. 

Ardern said that for some people, building up enough for a deposit was problematic, and there needed to be more public housing. 

Collins hit back - saying many state houses built that Ardern was claiming a win for, were built and commissioned under National. 

On a capital gains tax, Ardern said she still believed in a CGT, but "gave her word" when she said one would never be put in place under her leadership. 

"This is a housing crisis I can't turn around in three years," Ardern said. 

Collins said her Government would build more houses, referencing the failed KiwiBuild programme. 

The debate also touched on the Auckland Habour Bridge fiasco. 

National would build another one, starting 2028, Collins said. 

Ardern said the Government's infrastructure pipeline was the longest of all time. 

Asked what Neve would be grateful for in 20 years, Ardern said her Government was making moves in the climate change space. 

That would be good for New Zealand's reputation. 

"We need to be realistic and hopeful," Ardern said. 

"Climate change is upon us.” 

She talked about "grasping" the opportunities that climate change created. 

Collins, said she “loved her country”, but there was a "better way". 

Ardern responded by saying there was "enormous opportunity" after Covid. 

She said a plan was necessary, "but so is optimism".