Every Monday until the election The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper, former Act Party press secretary Trish Sherson and former Labour minister Chris Carter have the inside word and analysis.
Judith Collins has gone to great lengths to make sure people understand she's a woman of faith this past week. It all started off this comment at the Newshub debate: "As a Christian I do actually believe in miracles but he [Winston Peters] ain't going to be one of them."
Yesterday, things ramped up when Judith Collins went to vote at a church on Sunday and was filmed and photographed kneeling down, head on her hands in prayer. She explained to Mike Hosking how the situation came about: "The Minister said oh would you like to pop in and have a prayer service. And I said yes, I would. I didn't ask the media in, but I turned around and there they were all happily taking shots. So, I thought well I'll just keep doing what I'm doing." But speaking today, the Front Bench didn't buy this excuse, agreeing it's a play to win votes.
Jacinda Ardern has copped criticism for politicising the level 1 announcement today because she used the opportunity to criticise other party's border policies and National's housing plan. Was this her most political announcement yet?
