Last week, boxes of fudge arrived at New Zealand’s Parliament. Not as a festive treat, but as a political weapon. The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union, chaired by former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson, had sent them to journalists with a blunt message: Finance Minister Nicola Willis was “fudging” the fiscal accounts.

The stunt was classic Taxpayers’ Union: theatrical, media-savvy and guaranteed to make the evening news. But what came next was a surprise. Willis fired back with a direct challenge: she would debate Richardson “anytime, anywhere.” Richardson accepted.

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