Focus Live: Judith Collins speaks to the media in Auckland
Judith Collins and an Auckland optometrist failed to see eye to eye on the campaign trail today, with the National leader turned away from the central Auckland glasses store.
Collins took a walkabout in Ponsonby, where she was greeted by strategically-placed National supporters placed about 20m apart - sparking claims of a "rent-a-crowd".
But as Collins went to sign into glasses store Oscar Wylee, staff inside said: "No, we don't want you in here" before giving her the thumbs down.
Collins brushed it off and blamed the media pack following her.
Collins had an enthusiastic start to her stroll down Ponsonby Rd with Auckland Central candidate Emma Mellow and National MP Melissa Lee.
"Shall we go shopping, girls?," Collins declared.
Collins was in Auckland Central to show her support for Mellow in the tight three-horse race for the hotly contested seat.
After meeting and greeting fierce National supporters dotted along the way, Collins then had to face questions about whether her walkabout "was a bit of a sham".
However, her deputy Gerry Brownlee says it's perfectly normal to let supporters know when the leader is going to be visiting their electorate to avoid disappointment later.
But New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was quick to call it a "rent-a-crowd" and said all political parties were guilty of it except his own.
"It's rent-a-crowd and you're falling for it," Peters said.
"With respect, you media are falling for rent-a-crowd people holding up the National and the Labour and the Greens and everyone else's banner. Do you see me doing that?
"No, this is a campaign of true believers and they're all going to come home."
National Party Leader Judith Collins along with Auckland Central candidate Emma Mellow. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Sunday's Q+A Colmar Brunton poll put Labour's candidate Helen White in the lead with 35 points, Mellow on 30 and the Greens' candidate Chloe Swarbrick on 26.
Mellow said she'd been encouraged by the poll and was "working hard every single day" meeting voters to win their support as it's her only chance to get into Parliament without a list ranking.
Collins spoke warmly of Mellow, saying: "She's someone who brings a very sensible head on her shoulders and she's a really good team player and I really love that. And she's just one of the pleasant people around."
Many of the people the trio met on their walk knew and supported Mellow.
Not 5m into their ramble they happened upon their first supporter outside the Ponsonby International Foodcourt who said as a member of the Bluegreens, he was saving the environment.
"Good for you and I'm saving the economy," said Collins.
"I'm having an awful lot of fun."
Five seconds later Collins, Lee and Mellow met their next supporter dressed in blue, then they had to walk just another 45 seconds to meet another party faithful who congratulated the National leader on her performance in The Press debate the night before.
Nation Party Leader Judith Collins along with Auckland Central candidate Emma Mellow during their walk-about along Ponsonby Rd. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Just up the road a business owner was waiting to meet the trio before they came across former National staffer and Mellow's campaign manager Hamish Price waiting for them on a corner.
Though not everyone they came across was as enthusiastic to meet them. As Collins went to sign into a glasses store, staff inside said: "No, we don't want you in here" before giving her the thumbs down.
Collins brushed it off and blamed the media pack following her.
At the Foxtrot Cafe in Ponsonby Central, where the women ended their 250m walk, a poll made of Skittles put Labour well ahead with its bottle at least three times as full as National's.
Collins, Mellow and Lee all dutifully voted with their single blue Skittle.
An unofficial voting station at Foxtrot Parlour in Ponsonby Central. Photo / Amelia Wade
Later they were asked by media if the walkabout was "a bit of a sham".
"No, I've got a lot of supporters here in Auckland Central and they wanted an opportunity to meet Judith so I invited them along," said Mellow.
Collins said what the walkabout showed was how little foot traffic there was in Ponsonby and how many businesses were hurting. She then brushed off questions about whether placing supporters along her path was a legitimate thing to do.
Peters later called the move a "rent-a-crowd" and Labour leader Jacinda Ardern said it wasn't something her team did "to my knowledge".
But Brownlee, who is campaign chairman, said every party did it as it was a courtesy to supporters to let them know when a leader was visiting their electorate.
He said Peters should look into a rent-a-crowd himself.
Collins said she was also determined to remain National's leader even if the party fails to grab power at the election.
"Yes, I will be staying on," she told reporters today after being asked about her post-election plan if National was not successful.
Collins - who said she was still having fun - said she also wasn't focusing on whether Denise Lee's leaked email had damaged National's chances at winning the election.
"I just think people are very focused on their lives and ... I'm not worried about silly trivia."
