Leaders of four smaller parties faced off in a 1News Multi-Party Debate on Thursday night, with sparks flying between the leaders of potential coalition partners NZ First and ACT.

Also on stage were the Green Party's James Shaw and Te Pāti Māori's Rawiri Waititi, but it was the friction between David Seymour and Winston Peters that took centre stage - literally.

The latest 1News-Verian poll suggested National and ACT will need to call on NZ First if they are to form the next government.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is expected to emerge from isolation on Friday morning, after spending nearly a week in isolation with Covid-19, and head down to Wellington.

National leader Christopher Luxon will be in New Plymouth and Stratford.

Follow the day's action with RNZ's live blog:

- RNZ.