National leader Judith Collins visiting a law firm in Hamilton. Photo / Amelia Wade
National leader Judith Collins used a friendly senior audience to launch attacks on Jacinda Ardern and the Green Party co-leaders.
And she's doubled-down on her "wealth tax" attacks after Labour leader Jacinda Ardern this morning said they were coming out of National's "desperation and the misinformation".
"She shouldn't go into name-calling," Collins said.
The war of words between the two leaders has been heating up this week as New Zealand edges closer to election day on Saturday.
For the third time in two days Collins today told supporters a Labour-Greens government was "coming for" them.
Three sleeps out from the election, Collins unveiled her party's promises to seniors at a public meeting in Hamilton pulled together with less than 48 hours' notice.
The rowdy crowd cheered and applauded the National leader throughout her 40-minute speech, which appeared to buoy her spirit as she traversed policies and recent news.
Referring to the recent criticisms on her comments about obesity and saying it was personal responsibility, Collins said: "Shouldn't we have a country where people know they can take responsibility for themselves, for their health as much as they possibly can?
"Actually taking charge of our lives. Are we so pathetic? Are sheep or are we people? I think we're people," to cheers from the crowd.
Collins explained their tax cuts package would mean superannuants would keep an extra $560 over 16 months and $1,000 for couples.
"So you should be very pro this policy. This works for you," she said to applause.
She then said the Greens were "coming for" retirees with their proposed wealth tax.
"To think [James Shaw], if they win, might be deputy prime minister or," Collins said before a long pause, "Marama Davidson".
"These people who've said that tax is love … that's because before they came into politics they never paid much tax."
Collins said later said she meant "most of them were unemployable, I would have thought".
"I don't wish to be nasty, but there we are - it's the truth."
The Greens' proposed tax would introduce two new tax brackets for an individual whose assets were worth more than $1 million and $2 million.
Couples who together own a $1.2 million house without debt and $700,000 in the bank would not be affected, for example, as the tax is individualised.
Collins repeated her assertion a Labour-led government would implement the tax, despite Labour leader Jacinda Ardern repeatedly saying it wouldn't happen.
"What we've seen with the current Government is that they do have a tendency to change their minds quite quickly."
Collins said when she worked as a lawyer, a lot of her work was helping people hide their money from the then-inheritance tax.
"When I was first a lawyer it was one of the things we spent a lot of time trying to help people to try to avoid. Why do they think that so many people set up trusts? It was actually to get around that."
She said a wealth tax would incentivise people to move their money offshore which meant it wasn't in the economy.
But the funniest part of the speech, according to Collins, was when she went down a tangent about the media after talking about National's border policy.
"I'm sure if I'm wrong, the media will correct me - they've got to do something," before laughing for 10 seconds.
"Everyone has to earn a living. I say this generously."
Many in the crowd approached Collins for photos and handshakes afterwards, many telling her how much they loved her and were pleased to see her as leader of the National Party.
Later Collins revealed one of her secrets to stay motivated to a group of young lawyers while visiting a boutique law firm.
She said she always likes to keep her practising certificate current.
"You know why? Because that's what makes me brave in politics, is always knowing there's something else from what I do now.
"That's why people in politics always say, 'have something to fall back on' so you know you don't have to be doing the job unless you're adding value.
"If you're not adding value, don't be there."
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