First election debate of the year kicks off at Auckland University Business School

Hone Harawira from the Mana Movement Party greets Chris Hipkins, Labour Party, and David Seymour, from ACT before the first election debate at the University of Auckland. Photo / Greg Bowker

Smoking weed, dirty undies and boring leaders were hot topics of the night at the first election debate of the year.

Political journalist Patrick Gower hosted the light hearted event at Auckland University Business School which saw hundreds of students filling the auditorium to see the parties go head-to-head.

James Shaw of the Green Party, Marama Fox of the Māori Party, David Seymour of ACT, Hone Harawira of the Mana Movement, Chris Hipkins of the Labour Party, Fletcher Tabuteau of New Zealand First and Chris Bishop from National attended the debate.

Fletcher Tabuteau, from New Zealand First and James Shaw, from the Green Party both take selfies. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Conservative party were outside protesting because they were uninvited.

Five of the seven politicians admitted to smoking weed.

Seymour said he did it, but only once because he "just got hungry".

Whereas Harawira answered with a hearty "of course I f***ing have". Shaw quipped "you don't need to ask. It's the Greens."

Tabuteau was the only one who hadn't and admitted to being the most boring person on the panel.

Bishop's weed-smoking remained mysterious as he was instead asked if he was a feminist, to which he replied yes. He also attempted to defend Prime Minister Bill English when Gower asked him to explain how the leader isn't boring.

"Bill English will be a great leader, a different leader.

"But Bill himself has said 'I am a bit boring but in a time of Trump and uncertainty I reckon New Zealanders will back boring'."

Students were encouraged to heckle, howl and engage with the politicians with many yelling out retorts from the crowd.

Political Editor Patrick Gower was a hit with the students. Photo / Greg Bowker

The quote of the night could be awarded to Fox who when introducing her party insinuated they were not about locking themselves to one political side.

"Red undies, blue undies. Same skid marks."

The heaviest moment of the night came when Harawira explained how increasing the age of superannuation affected Maori.

Marama Fox from the Maori Party and Hone Harawira from the Mana Movement Party perform a karakea. Photo / Greg Bowker

He moved almost completely to the left side of the room and pointed to the back of the lecture theatre. From his arm to the right hand side would be all the Maori men that would die without receiving a pension if the age was to increase.

"That's the reality of the people I have to serve," he said.