Election 2023: The Press debate is back on, with double the leaders

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

The Press debate is back, and it will go ahead with double the leaders.

The original debate was scheduled to take place this week, with Labour’s Chris Hipkins and National’s Christopher Luxon. But Hipkins fell ill with Covid-19 on Tuesday, and Luxon said his schedule for the following week was too full to reschedule.

After postponing, The Press invited the leaders of every party tracking to return to Parliament to a debate next week.

Leaders of NZ First, the Greens, ACT and Te Pāti Māori have accepted.

They will face The Press and a crowd of more than 2000 people at the Christchurch Town Hall, on Tuesday, October 10. This will be the final power brokers debate before polling day.

Press editor Kamala Hayman said she was “thrilled” to be hosting the coalition parties in Christchurch next week, ahead of an election which was expected to give these minor parties far more power in Parliament.

Hayman, as well as Stuff political editor Luke Malpass and Stuff chief political correspondent Tova O’Brien would host the debate.

It would be streamed live on Stuff as well, from 7pm on Tuesday.

Read the full story by reporter Glenn McConnell www.stuff.co.nz... |here|.