Third leaders' debate a draw

Neither John Key nor David Cunliffe landed a telling blow during the third leaders' debate, moderated by TV3's John Campbell.

The Labour leader got closest as he attempted a "show me the money" jab.

Mr Cunliffe said the PM had promised families an extra $1500 a year, but with around 1.6 million families in NZ, that would $3.4 billion — far more than Mr Key earmarked for a possible 2017 tax cut last week.

However, Mr Cunliffe's muffed his maths, or maybe his memory failed him. He was forced to backtrack and say he'd meant $2.4 billion — still some way north of the $500 million the PM indicated could be available for a tax cut for middle and low earners, but the moment was lost. The back-and-forth over the numbers undermined his point, and recalled his brain fade over Labour's capital gains policy in the second debate.

The debate's second key moment came when Mr Cunliffe made an impassioned mini-speech about making it a priority to feed poor children. Some thought it has emotional resonance, but just as many thought it seemed rehearsed and a bit over-egged. TV3's Brook Sabin mocked it as his "Martin Luther Cunliffe" moment.

The consensus was that Mr Campbell did a solid job of moderating, but for stretches both leaders were shouting over each other. 

The Great New Zealand Public seemed a little fatigued by it all. On Twitter and Facebook there was much less chatter than during the first two encounters.

The two men will spar for a fourth and final time in a return to TVNZ on September 17.

How pundits picked it
Rob Hoskiing (NBR politics editor): Draw. "Technical win to Key but not much in it. Like one of those old 5-3 1960s rugby test score lines." Read more of Rob's analysis here.

John Armstrong (NZ Herald): Key. "The bottom-line for David Cunliffe was that he had to land a decent hit on the Prime Minister. The pressure was all on Cunliffe. But there was no hit. Key instead got the easiest ride he has had in any such debate. It was just another day at the office for him. Cunliffe's focus was on "too many people earning too little", getting children out of the poverty trap, raising the minimum wage and "putting food in the fridge" suggested that he had opted to use the debate as a platform to address Labour's core supporters and stop his party's dismal poll ratings from sinking even lower."

Audrey Young (NZ Herald): Cunliffe. "It was a more even debate than any of the others. Cunliffe was on top of his material, and explained well why the status quo was not satisfactory for Labour. He pitched his arguments well with one notable exception: his melodramatics over child poverty were over-the-top and counter-productive. Key won some segments. He butchered Cunliffe over capital gains tax." 

Toby Manhire (Listener, NZ Herald): Draw. "They gripped those oversize podiums tensely, as if their carefully rehearsed one-liners might otherwise float away. There was much talk of data. Hard data. Cunliffe was angry for NZ, Key relaxed for NZ. There was no clear winner, apart, perhaps, from the hairdressers of Horowhenua."

Fran O'Sullivan (NZ Herald): Cunliffe. "John Key (yet again) talked about New Zealand being on the 'cusp of an exciting future.' But the prime minister failed to spell out for us just what that vision entails. David Cunliffe gave us a taste of what a Labour reforming Government would bring to the table."

Corin Dann (TVNZ): Tie. Neither stood out. "[Cunliffe] showed he can foot it with the PM on policy and take him on over the numbers, but did he deliver a killer blow? I'm not sure."

Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Key. "If the measure of success in a leaders debate is delivering the line that sticks, then John Key probably won last night's Campbell Live face off with David Cunliffe. Key’s put down of Labour’s capital gains tax as a dog will be what people will remember after Cunliffe’s stumble last week during the Christchurch Press debate. But what last night’s debate mostly underscored was that at 25 points ahead in the polls Key did not need to take any risks."

Twitter feedback taster

Cunliffe said National's tax bill was wrongly estimated and is $3.4bn. Now admits he meant $2.4bn. Will someone show us the money!

— Andrea Vance (@avancenz) September 10, 2014

'Cusp of something special' feels closer to a pick-up line than election slogan

— Danyl Mclauchlan (@danylmc) September 10, 2014

Oh dear. Cunliffe's challenge to the PM on the cost of tax cuts got the figure wrong. Not $3.4b, $2.4b. Facepalm #decision14

— Jessica Williams (@mizjwilliams) September 10, 2014

John Campbell's closing address has more vision than either of the "politicians". #decision14

— Philip Matthews (@secondzeit) September 10, 2014