Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finance Minister Grant Robertson in their protective gear during their visit to FoodPilot in Palmerston North. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finance Minister Grant Robertson in their protective gear during their visit to FoodPilot in Palmerston North. Photo / Mark Mitchell
If Grant Robertson ever needs an ego-check all he needs to do is spend a day with Jacinda Ardern on the campaign trail.
Even when Ardern is nearly unrecognisable in a hairnet, mask, safety goggles and lab coat at Massey University's campus in Palmerston North, students crowd the windows tryingto get a glimpse of her tasting hemp ice cream.
On her way out, students literally tear up as they scream, "I love you, Jacinda".
Robertson slips past unnoticed and only turns back to smile and wave when the media jokingly calls out: "Look it's the Finance Minister."
He doesn't get asked for a selfie all day, though he takes a few pictures of Ardern for others. But Robertson said he does get asked for them when he's alone.
"They just tend not to notice me when I'm with the Prime Minister."
Barefooted Iona Hayman who was out getting a vegan cupcake couldn't pick Robertson out of the crowd as she mustered the courage to ask Ardern for a picture.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posing for selfies with Iona Hayman (left) and Raine Sher (right). Photo / Mark Mitchell
After some dithering, she and her friend Raine Sher seized the opportunity only to have Ardern offer to take it herself.
Ardern and Robertson were in Palmerston North to boost the campaign of Labour's new candidate after Iain Lees-Galloway resigned over an extra-marital affair.
Without a policy or Government announcement on the agenda, the pair started their day with a show and tell at the food science and innovation hub FoodHQ.
Researchers explained projects such as yoghurt designed to cater to Chinese consumers' palates, hybrid meats, and super blackcurrants.
Up the road at Massey University's FoodPilot venue, there was a look at hemp ice cream before Ardern was mobbed by the overwhelmed students, including one nick-named "the lookalike" who scored an elbow bump and a selfie.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posing for selfies with tradesmen at Isles Construction in Palmerston North. Photo / Mark Mitchell
At a Ministry of Housing and Urban Development apartment block, Robertson hung back to admire a graph showing the uptake of apprenticeships while Ardern chatted with tradesmen and got a tour of the work site.
Despite Robertson being so pleased with the graph he flashed it to media in a press conference, the day brought bad news for the Finance Minister with Statistics New Zealand confirming a 12.2 per cent drop in GDP - officially putting the country in a recession.
"Let's be absolutely clear here, there's no way any political party could claim there would not have been a recession during this time. This is a one-in-one-hundred-year economic shock," he said.
Then came the re-announcement of earlier announcements as Ardern talked about infrastructure spending in the lower North Island over the last three years and for the next 18 months.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tasting hemp protein ice cream during her visit to FoodPilot in Palmerston North. Photo / Mark Mitchell
She also took time to respond to National leader Judith Collins' claim that construction should have been allowed under alert level 4, saying there was only a period of six weeks when construction wasn't happening.
"I back New Zealand's rebound."
After a few more selfies with the builders, the Labour campaign machine headed into the town centre with local candidates Tangi Utikere and Soraya Peke-Mason to visit businesses and battle strong northwesterlies.
Ardern finished the day by having a chat in men's clothing store Rembrandt but when the conversation got to the impact of the wage subsidy scheme, Robertson was distracted by a sudden urge to help the local economy.
"Oh sorry, I was just admiring that Ben Sherman shirt," he said before hanging it back up again while the owners got pictures with Ardern.
