A move by Prime Minister John Key and Labour leader Phil Goff to shun smaller party leaders in election debates is being slammed as undemocratic.
Mr Key has agreed to four debates with Mr Goff but has not agreed to others including with leaders of smaller parties.
Mr Goff has said he will not appear in debates unless Mr Key does.
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the move denied the public a chance to see coalition lineup potentials in action.
"I think John Key and Phil Goff should go on the debate and be part of it so people can see."
United Future leader Peter Dunne said all voices should be heard equally and the two leaders should do some wider debates.
"In an open democracy, a contest of ideas and I think all voices should be heard equally," he said.
"I wouldn't say they were arrogant I just think this is the way that things have developed but I think it's unfortunate because people can't make a fair comparison."
In 2008 then Prime Minister Helen Clark and Mr Key refused to participate in debates alongside minor party leaders, despite doing so in previous years.
In that election the two leaders' offices agreed to provide a united front against the TV networks in agreeing only to head-to-head debates between them.
The leaders were then able to spend more time pressing their cases in a more presidential style without having to share the stage with others.
Dr Norman said Mr Goff should not tie his appearances to those of the prime minister.
"I think Phil Goff needs to stand up to John Key and say 'actually it's not democratic for John Key not to turn up'," he said.
"I think John Key would look like an idiot if Phil Goff and everyone else turned up to the debate and John Key didn't."
Dr Norman thought Mr Key was avoiding having to appear next to his former leader Don Brash, who now heads the ACT Party.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, whose party is not in Parliament, said Mr Key was scared of debating him and he would give him a 30 second head start to answer questions and let him take staff advice.
"All we ask for in return is a glass of water and one second with a towel to wipe the blood off the floor."
Mr Key told reporters this afternoon he had turned down some debates including with Radio New Zealand and the New Zealand Herald.
He had agreed to two debates on TV One, another with TV3 and one with The Press newspaper on the quake.
"I think four debates will be enough for people to get a sense of who they want to chose to be the next prime minister," he said.
He did not accept that undermined MMP and said his Government had worked well with the Maori, ACT and United Future parties. A separate debate for those parties was good for them, he said.
Mr Goff said he would not appear in debates where Mr Key did not.
"If he's not going to be there, then that takes away the main debate between the two major parties. He should be there," he said.
In 2005 there was a row when TV3 tried to exclude United Future leader Peter Dunne and Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton from a debate on MMP.
The network said eight leaders was too many, but Mr Dunne and Mr Anderton went to court and TV3 had to let them take part.
