Nau mai, haere mai.

For Labour leader Chris Hipkins, last night's live TV leaders debate offered the ideal forum. He is a skilled and experienced parliamentary performer and a seasoned politician. His opponent Christopher Luxon, by contrast, is a political novice who has struggled with combative interviewers and command of his brief.

The reverse may be true out on the hustings, however. As one political journalist recently observed of the two leaders’ respective campaign styles, Luxon is more the extrovert, expert at the “ten second conversation” with ordinary voters. Hipkins is less comfortable, with his inner policy wonk sometimes too evident.

In their first debate, it was those public, rather than parliamentary, performers on display. Hipkins was the calm, careful manager of expectations. Luxon was in full inspirational CEO mode. Viewers and voters will make up their own minds as to which they prefer, but this was no major reset of the political narrative.

As Suze Wilson writers today, however, that is what Chris Hipkins needs. His challenge is to regain control of that narrative, rise above the mere theatre of politics, and connect with voters’ real interests rather than their current (fairly grumpy) mood.

Leadership researchers call this the “management of meaning”. And “unless Hipkins discovers an effective way to do this,” Wilson writes, “he will struggle.” With just over three weeks till the election, the struggle is real.