Election 2023 - On The Beat: Luxon offers hugs while Hipkins hits hard

Newshub's Leaders Debate started with the same combative energy that Patrick Gower brings to all his journalism.

A boisterous Auckland crowd, who were suitably mic'd up, also gave the evening a more lively feel. ​

But it was largely thanks to Paddy and his usual mix of humour, weirdness and hard-hitting intensity that last night's event was a far more entertaining affair than the previous iteration on TVNZ last week.

​Initially it felt like Gower had Chris Hipkins in particular on the backfoot as the opening questions covered issues like crime, ram raids and the cost of living.

But Labour’s leader came with his own plan of attack, making sure he interjected, snapped back and generally filled the opening exchanges with key messages about his party's plan to tackle the causes of these problems not just the symptoms.

While some of his answers were less than satisfactory, it also felt disingenuous for Christopher Luxon to claim Hipkins' government should have completely solved all these challenges given the recent global pandemic.

Luxon also seemed caught off guard by Hipkin’s energised approach and was content to just laugh off Hipkin’s jibes - and at one stage offered to give Hipkins a hug. However you could argue that Luxon’s ability to stay calm under the early pressure would have eased some of his early nerves.

But following the first ad break, Hipkins began to land more blows, building the narrative that National’s leader couldn't answer questions clearly or back up his promises, particularly around how he would fund his tax cuts and how he would manage Winston Peters and David Seymour in a coalition.

A common refrain from Hipkins was: “If you can’t keep your promises in opposition, how can you be trusted to keep your promises in Government.” While Luxon also didn't help himself by regularly trying to pivot away from questions using the line: “what I will say to you."

Hipkins was probably weakest when it came to defending his positions on foreign policy and you could tell he was worried about putting his foot in it diplomatically. ​

But by the end of the debate, Hipkins had hammered Luxon so repeatedly about giving a straight answer, that instead of denying it, Luxon just sheepishly chuckled, with Gower ending proceedings on a rather flat note.

Following the debate both Newshub's panelists​ and the New Zealand Herald's analysts​ all agreed Hipkins shaded Luxon, by holding National’s leader to account on his wishy-washy answers and his inability to back up his promises with numbers or details.

However the telling question both leaders will be asking their strategists this weekend is whether their performance will change minds ahead of Monday when advance voting begins.

Luxon's obfuscation about whether Winston Peters is good for New Zealand politics could potentially push more people towards NZ First. While Hipkins will be hoping he's done enough to plant the necessary seeds of doubt in undecided voters' minds about whether Luxon can actually be trusted.

Soundtrack to politics: Best hip hop duets

Despite Hipkins and Luxon finding plenty to disagree on last night, they also have much in common which was so ably highlighted by our political reporter Taualofa Totua​. So with that in mind, I thought I'd highlight some of the best hip hop duets in keeping with the theme of these columns.

Brookyn's Finest - JAY-Z and The Notorious B.I.G.

Two of the best to have ever done it combined for this great track. And sadly these two were apparently set to record an album before Biggie was tragically murdered. Given all the talk about coalitions in last night's debate, hopefully our best politicians can realise working together is better than apart - because as Jay-Z may be thinking - you never know how long you'll have with someone.

Forgot About Dre - Eminem​ and Dr Dre

This track won the pair a Grammy award for best rap song by a duo but also helped launch Marshall Mathers' stellar career and relaunch Dr Dre's after a run of less successful projects. What's particularly striking about his duet is that Dr Dre and Eminem seem to be so different but have obvious chemistry and respect for each other and it reminds me of the early days of Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peter's coalition when the two seemed so enamored with each other, before things started to unravel.

​Drop It Like It's Hot - Snoop Dogg​ and Pharrell Williams

This iconic song was both artists' first track to make it to number one on the US's Billboard Hot 100​ and the black and white-shot music video also won a number of awards. What I particularly like about this duet is the mix between Snoop's grittier lyrics and Williams' smooth, down-tempo production. It's another great example of a contrast in styles, which people might see in this next government if David Seymour and Winston Peters find themselves around a Cabinet table together.

​Moment 4 Life - Nicki Minaj​ and Drake​

This chart-topping, award-winning hit is all about enjoying the moment and not taking things for granted. This track helped both Minaj and Drake establish themselves as top artists and it was one of an number of collaborations between the pair. You could even say their profitable partnership in music is not too dissimilar to the success the Green Party's James Shaw and Marama Davidson are experiencing, as the pair seem to be on track to gain the highest number of party voters their party has ever seen. ​​​​

​​​Walk This Way - Run DMC and Aerosmith

One of the most legendary duets saw pioneering hip hop group Run DMC bring a fresh take to Aerosmith's Walk This Way. Artists from rap and rock rarely collaborate, making this song a huge crossover success, and according to some​ this track broke down racial and societal barriers that were existing in the United States at the time of its release.

If I was to make a comparison to New Zealand, it would be good to see whoever wins the election on 14 October would be willing to unite the country in this fashion rather than divide it - which has certainly been the case with some of the campaigning this year.