'You poor thing' - Six big moments from the Multi-Party Debate

Minor party leaders in New Zealand debated key election issues including wealth taxes, te reo Māori, and grocery prices. The event highlighted sharp disagreements between figures like Winston Peters and Rawiri Waititi regarding cultural policy and economic reform.
Why it matters
This debate provides insight into the policy platforms of smaller parties that could play a crucial role in forming a coalition government.
<p>Five minor party leaders fought over major election issues in tonight’s 1News Multi-Party Debate, from supermarket prices and wealth taxes to te reo and the future of the Waitangi Tribunal.</p> <p><b></b><a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/player/newsclip/the-clashes-and-standout-moments-from-the-multi-party-debate" target="_blank"><b>The clashes and standout moments from the Multi-Party Debate - watch on TVNZ+</b></a><b></b></p> <p>With the National and Labour leaders absent, the debate put NZ First’s Winston Peters, ACT’s David Seymour, the Greens’ Chlöe Swarbrick, Opportunity’s Qiulae Wong and Te Pāti Māori’s Rawiri Waititi on one stage.</p> <p>The leaders pitched rival fixes for grocery and power bills, debated proposed wealth and land taxes, and argued over suggestions that prisons should be abolished.</p> <p>Here are the six moments and a few colourful answers that stood out.</p> <h2><span style="color:#ef5757;">1 </span>'You poor thing' - Waititi on Peters' reo complaints</h2> <p>Waititi, who appeared without co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer while she cared for her mother, is campaigning for compulsory te reo Māori in schools.
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