Election 2020: National leader Judith Collins fronts press on home turf in Matamata

National leader Judith Collins has called the Labour leader "a poor wee thing" as she fires shots at her political rival after going head-to-head in their first debate.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters in her hometown of Matamata, Collins said if Jacinda Ardern couldn't handle the heat, she should get out of the kitchen.

The party leaders have been giving their post-match analyses today after the first leaders' debate last night.

Collins called Ardern "a poor wee thing" because in an interview after the TVNZ debate, Ardern said politics "was not a blood sport".

Ardern said today she made those comments because she didn't think that's what voters were looking for.

"Ultimately I went into the debate with an approach that I wanted people to hear our policies and what our plan is and that's what I did."

Some commentators have said Ardern appeared a little lacklustre - the Labour leader rejected this critique.

"I actually felt pretty invigorated out there actually. No, I didn't feel that way at all. But I would say it's one of four," said Ardern.

"I think over the course of the debates, nobody will be left in any question as to our style, the leadership we bring and the ideas we have."

Collins and her team are in Matamata today, making various stops along the campaign trail.

She is from this area – a traditionally blue seat - and has a strong support base in the region.

Collins was in high spirits after last night's debate, where she declared herself the winner.

But, on current polling numbers, National's support is trailing Labour's, which could govern alone on the 1News/Colmar Brunton numbers.

Collins said she really enjoyed the debate and she'd had feedback from people in her hometown that they liked she "tells it straight".

During the town hall meeting, Collins was asked about farmers' mental wellbeing and said the best thing the Government can do for farmers is to back them, and getting them to talk about mental health.

There needs to be an understanding that its okay to say "I'm not feeling well", she said.

She was holding back tears when talking about this, telling those in attendance that talking about this issue makes her emotional, as she comes from a farming background.

"I look at it and think, 'every farmer, and every farmers' family needs to know that theirs is valuable work' - that's the best thing we can do."

She said this was something that rural women live with every day.

"Rural women are not immune to mental health issues - I will always stand up for farmers."

Collins said today Ardern made a "massive failure" last night when they were sparring over the farming sector.

During the debate, Collins said: "I've got young dairy farmers saying to me, 'I'm only a dairy farmer' because they feel they have the weight of the world on them".

Ardern replied that it "feels to me like a view of the world that has passed".

"When I meet with our dairy sector … they absolutely see the need for us to be competitive in this environment," Ardern said.

"We've got Australian farmers talking about climate change - there's an inevitability here we have to face, but they are the ones talking about sustainability."

Referring to this exchange today, Collins called this a "massive failure" in Ardern's messaging and said New Zealand got to hear "exactly what Jacinda Ardern thinks about farming".

"I think she was very clear, she thinks this is a sunset industry."

Ardern said today that was "absolutely not what I said" instead was saying Collins' was presenting "an old view of farming".

There have also been criticisms today about the lack of questions in the debate about Māori issues.

Ardern said she'd welcome the opportunity to "delve into some of those issues" and believed there'd be "more of a contrast" between the parties' views.

Meanwhile Collins said John Campbell, who was moderating the debate, decided what the questions were.

Collins has also taken aim at Ardern's small-business record, saying the Labour leader "wouldn't know a small business if she fell over it".

And there was not a lot of love for the Greens either.

"Anyone that says that tax is love is as mad as a cut snake."

National leader Judith Collins signs a book for Nik Givens, the man who has a tattoo of her on his leg. Photo / Jason Walls

Earlier today, Collins met Nik Given - the man who got her face tattooed on his leg - and his partner Mel Collins at a cafe.

The trio spoke about Covid-19, the lockdown and how the debate went last night, with Mel saying Collins crushed it.

He was wearing pants so he did not have the tat on show, but he asked Collins to sign her book.

Asked if he would get another tattoo of an MP, he tossed up getting one of Act leader David Seymour on his other leg.

Collins, Given and local MP Tim van de Molen talked in front of press for roughly half an hour.

The National leader said the tattoo – of the iconic photo of her holding a gun – made her look a bit like James Bond.