I’m in the studio for tonight’s leaders’ debate between the two Chrises, but The Spinoff’s deputy editor Alice Neville is on deck for some live blogging action.

Chuck the debate on in the background, pour yourself a glass of whatever, get up our bingo card – and follow along with the live updates below. It’s going to be great.

At the same time as tonight’s leaders’ debate, Whakaata Māori (Māori Television) will broadcast the first of their live debates between candidates in the Māori electorates, along with exclusive polling of the Māori seats. Hosted by journalist Tina Wickliffe, tonight’s episode will bring together candidates from what looks to be one of the most nail-biting races among the seven Māori seats: Te Tai Hauāuru.

The debates will be aired every Tuesday and Thursday leading up to the election.

Watch Whakatau 2023 from 7pm tonight live on Whaakata Māori and Māori+.

Read more about the battle for Te Tai Hauāuru here and more about front-running candidate Debbie Ngarewa-Packer here.

Here are some of the day’s stories you may have missed – and remember to check back in before 7pm for our leaders’ debate live blog!

• The political party led by conspiracy theorist Liz Gunn managed only to register three candidates, meaning it wouldn’t have enough to enter parliament even if it scraped above the 5% threshold.
• National Party leader Christopher Luxon said his party will unveil its full economic plan “in the coming days”.
• Green candidate offers “big hugs” for victims of retail crime.
• All new 2023 leader debate bingo (or drinking game if you like).
• An incredible read from Ben Thomas: Who is Karl Mokaraka? 
• New Youth Wings: The lived experience of Young Labour.
• 12-hour podcast alert! Get ready for the Megapod, livestreaming tomorrow on The Spinoff.

That’s all from me, for now. We’ll have live coverage of tonight’s debate here on The Spinoff followed by group analysis. I’ll be in the studio so am handing over blogging duties to Alice Neville, who will keep you all company throughout the evening. I simply cannot wait.

It’s back! The Spinoff’s official leader’s debate bingo card. Make sure you have this handy (I recommend a bookmark) as you watch Chris Hipkins and Chris Luxon face-off at 7pm on TVNZ1.

This article has had a Media Council complaint upheld against it. Read more here.

The political party led by broadcaster-turned-conspiracy theorist Liz Gunn managed only to register three candidates on its list, meaning it wouldn’t have enough to enter parliament even if it scraped above the 5% threshold.

On current polling that appears the longest of shots. New Zealand Loyal isn’t registering on any polls, but that hasn’t stopped Gunn and her supporters campaigning across the country.

But in a lengthy video shared to her party’s website, Gunn explained that something had gone “terribly wrong” during the finalisation of the party’s list. As a result, just three names appeared for NZ Loyal on the Electoral Commission’s final list of candidates (including Gunn). According to The Press’s Charlie Mitchell, one of those has since left the party, meaning there are in fact just two list candidates left.

An emotional Gunn compared herself to Edmund Hillary as she said she had experienced doubts, but was prepared to put herself on the line to “pull off a miracle” on October 14. “I have a very deep faith that it will [happen],” she said, without detailing exactly what the miracle would be.

Without specifically mentioning how the error with the party’s list came about, Gunn said: “I put one of our team in a position where they were under too much pressure, and they should have had someone looking over their shoulder and helping them. It is fully my responsibility.” She wouldn’t rule out “sabotage”.

Her campaign for parliament isn’t over, however. Gunn argued that people should still vote for NZ Loyal so as to ensure fewer members of parliament. “Those party votes for NZ Loyal that look as if they are now a throwaway vote in fact turn into a giant, one fingered salute,” she concluded.

Tomorrow on The Spinoff, we’re trying something new, strange and probably dangerous: an epic livestreamed Megapod – a full 12 hours of Gone By Lunchtime from 9am.

Toby Manhire will be joined by Ben Thomas and Annabelle Lee-Mather, as well as a parade of high-profile candidates and commentators, to debate, discuss and tip into delirious mode ahead of the 2023 election. Join us at thespinoff.co.nz this Wednesday September 20 from 9am to 9pm. I’ll be there too, so make sure you tune in.

For Election 2023 coverage, follow Gone By Lunchtime wherever you get your podcasts.

A candidate for the Green Party told an audience in the Maungakiekie electorate last night that victims of retail crime deserve “big hugs”, after being asked how to ensure community safety.

Sapna Samant, who is number 30 on the Greens list, was one of four political candidates invited to attend a meet the candidates event in Ellerslie. Also in attendance were Labour’s Priyanca Radhakrishnan and National’s Greg Fleming.

After being asked about priorities for policing and overall safety in the community, Samant appeared to pledge an unusual approach to dealing with victims of crime. “In terms of the policing I know there has been so much talk about an increase in crime and my heart goes out to all those businesses that have been affected very badly – and definitely big hugs from me,” she said.

“You might say ‘what’s the point of hugs’? Each of these issues that everybody wants to conflate and bring together are completely different. Ram raids are different from any other crime and so we have to look at all these issues separately.”

She added: “There is going to be safety hubs at least in central Auckland so we can replicate those hubs in Ellerslie and Maungakiekie. We have to be able to create restorative justice which is a wraparound service for people… and make sure we are looking after our youth. That is how we would be making sure there is less crime on the street.”

The “safety hub” initiative was trialled in the Auckland CBD during the Fifa World Cup, but is not a Green Party policy.

Samant’s response received a lukewarm round of applause, with some in the audience seen shaking their heads at the answer.

Meanwhile, last night’s event also saw an unannounced appearance by a candidate from the fringe Rock the Vote party, which is part of the Freedoms NZ umbrella movement. During the question and answer session, candidate Eric Chuah suggested, to much laughter, that both Labour’s Radhakrishnan and National’s Fleming would make into parliament even without winning the electorate.

Attempting to frame his statement as a question, he said: “the question is: all of you are going to get in, should you not have someone like me?” None of the candidates were given the opportunity to respond.

At number 66, Fleming is unlikely to make it into parliament unless he wins the Maungakiekie seat. Radhakrishnan, at 15, would be more likely.

Labour’s released a new attack ad targeted at a prospective National-Act government.

Titled “stop the cuts before they start”, the 30-second animated ad features bobblehead Christopher Luxon and David Seymour, while a narrator questions what they might want to scrap. The “coalition of cuts” line has been used by Chris Hipkins for months now, in response to Luxon’s attempts to pin Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori as a “coalition of chaos”.

Expect more questions about cuts, chaos and coalitions at tonight’s TVNZ leader’s debate.

National’s Hamilton East candidate (the aptly named Ryan Hamilton) has finally answered the phone after concerns were raised over past comments made on social media.

Hamilton had for decades opposed water fluoridation, which is counter to the National Party’s position. Leader Christopher Luxon was quick to condemn the remarks, but Hamilton was initially uncontactable.

He finally fronted when called up by RNZ’s Craig McCulloch – and I’d suggest you have a listen.

She first joined Young Labour because of Jacinda Ardern, but Jas McIntosh has since found her own purpose even without the leader who started it all. After a long journey to receiving her neurodivergent diagnosis, which also required her to spend her course-related costs on medical fees, she’s presenting a petition to parliament to make the process more accessible for people like her. Although she’s a big believer in “Fake it till you make it”, a little bit of advice from departing MP David Clark doesn’t go amiss. 

Content warning: This video contains discussion of suicide, which may be distressing to some viewers. Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor. 

Youth Wings is made with support from NZ On Air.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon said his party will unveil its full economic plan “in the coming days”.

Since last week’s pre-election fiscal update, National has been under pressure to reveal its overall economic plan for if it wins the election.

“Today we are announcing the first part of that plan,” Luxon said. “The actions National will take to cut red tape and complex regulations that are stifling our economy and making it too hard for New Zealanders to get things done.”

Most of the 25 measures announced today come as no surprise – as they have been part of previous policy announcements – such as repealing Labour’s RMA replacement, restoring 90 day trials for businesses with more than 20 employees and cutting financial red tape.

“Kiwi businesses thrive when we have a dynamic, competitive economy and it’s the Government’s job to get the settings right so that businesses can step up and achieve that,” said Luxon. “That means a predictable and consistent regulatory environment, with less red tape.”

It’s debate day. We’ll have updates during tonight’s TVNZ leader’s debate, as well as coverage from inside the studio. Join us at 7pm for all the action. In the meantime, here is the rest of the Tuesday agenda…

• Labour leader Chris Hipkins has just wrapped his morning media round from Auckland. Next, he’ll visit an Auckland University facility and then speak to media. His afternoon is clear, presumably for debate prep.
• Also in Auckland and also with a short schedule is National leader Christopher Luxon. He’s visiting a factory in Avondale this morning and then speaking to the media. He’s also got a busy afternoon of debate prep.
• As above, both leaders will head to TVNZ tonight for the first leader’s debate of Election 2023. It starts at 7pm on TVNZ1 and runs for 90 minutes.

With the central government elections taking up a fair chunk of time and attention, it’s easy to forget local government rolls on. It’s also rolling in with agenda items for wannabe MPs and the next government. Just as the mayors of the Far North put their hands up for a justified slice of political attention last week, Auckland’s mayor Wayne Brown is taking his shot at getting Auckland’s wishlist on the agenda, releasing an Auckland Manifesto, which he has sent to political parties ahead of the election.

Brown spoke to Q&A’s Jack Tame about it on Sunday. The manifesto sets out six points Auckland Council wants action on, arguing the city generates a huge share of New Zealand’s growth but isn’t correspondingly rewarded with greater autonomy. Brown is calling on competing political parties to offer the city more devolved powers in exchange for electoral support. Brown hasn’t had a great run with media, and I say this carefully as an Aucklander, but I do think it’s worth a watch.

Meanwhile, in Wellington, the Herald’s Georgina Campbell is reporting (paywalled) on mounting concerns about the health of Wellington city council’s finances as councillors assemble the city’s Long Term Plan.

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Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he has a “few nerves” ahead of tonight’s first televised leader’s debate.

The 90-minute TVNZ debate will be the first opportunity of the election campaign to see Hipkins and National’s Christopher Luxon face off.

Hipkins told RNZ he was looking forward to it. “One of the things about modern campaigns is you don’t get very much time to talk about the issues,” he said. “It’ll be first time in a leaders debate for both of us. For undecided voters… it’ll be a good opportunity to tune in and hear what we’ve both got to say.”

As noted by the Herald’s Claire Trevett, the first leader’s debate is often the most important. “People who watch it may not tune in to watch another debate later, barring a drama breaking out on the campaign,” she wrote. It’s also Hipkins’ to lose, though he wouldn’t admit that to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. However, he said that there is added pressure on an incumbent leader.

Labour wasn’t polling where it needed to be to win the election, Hipkins added, which did make the debate more important.
“We need to at least be drawing equal with the National Party,” he said, noting his internal polling showed Labour in the high 20s and low 30s. “It’s been a challenging six years, but I believe we’ve achieved a lot.”

Both Hipkins and Luxon are already in Auckland ahead of the debate. Neither have much on their agenda today – just a couple of hours this morning before both will head away for last minute debate prep.