On the Campaign, September 25: What you missed on the election campaign today

Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon have to drive home their potential this week. Photo / Getty Images

The election campaign still has 20 days to go, but this week marks the “business end” of the campaign that could be the last chance to woo over voters.

Advanced voting for some disabled New Zealanders and those living overseas opens on Wednesday, before early voting kicks off from Monday.

NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan told On the Campaign, the Herald’s daily election podcast, that means this week is a big one for all parties.

“This is the last opportunity that political parties have to make a really strong impression on voters, as after Wednesday and certainly after Monday, it doesn’t matter what impression you are making on voters, some of them would have already voted.

“In two weeks’ time, about a quarter of the electorate could have already voted. You might meet them in a mall, you might talk to them on television, and you might persuade them, but their vote’s not for sale any more.”

To add to the pressure, this week the fiscal plans from the major parties are released, which shows how they plan to pay for everything. Coughlan said this will inevitably lead to claims of fiscal holes afterwards, but that most “hole” claims this election have been “a wee bit tenuous”.

The big question for voters this election is less which party they want to see in government, but what coalition they hope to see. This morning, National leader Christopher Luxon confirmed he will work with NZ First and Winston Peters post-election if National and Act need their support to form a coalition.

Luxon asserted that Labour will do the same thing, but Chris Hipkins repeatedly ruled out working with Peters in a press conference today, calling National-Act-NZ First a “right-wing circus” and “three-headed monster”.

Listen to the full episode of On the Campaign for the full rundown of today’s big election stories.

On the Tiles is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are available evenings every weekday.