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Week five of the election campaign began with Helen Clark and Don Brash going head to head in TVNZs leaders debate and a comment made by Brash regarding Clark dominated the campaign for the rest of the week.
Monday
Helen Clark and Don Brash went head-to-head in the first live televised debate between the two leaders in election 2005. The debate was keenly anticipated as it followed the latest One News Colmar Brunton poll, which showed Helen Clark's Labour Party move eight points clear of Brash's National Party.
National finally revealed its sweeping tax reforms. Party leader Don Brash said rather than cutting tax rates National plans to lift the tax thresholds. A single person earning $38,000 will receive a $630 a year increase from April next year, rising to $690 a year from April 2007. Someone on $50,000 a year will get an annual increase of $1,470 from April next year, rising to $2,370 from April 2007
Labour announced it was extending its policy of 20-hours of free early childhood education a week, to cover private as well as community-based centres.
New Zealand First said it would remove the goods and service tax from petrol which would lower the price by about 15 cents a litre for regular unleaded. Party leader Winston Peters said dropping GST will cost just under $600 million a year and take 15 cents a litre off the current price of petrol.
The latest One News Colmar Brunton poll asked people who they trusted and on what issues. Sixty two percent of people polled believed Clark shows the stronger leadership, while just 30% back National Party leader Don Brash. Clark is also ahead on trust with about half (51%) of those polled putting their trust in her against 32% for Brash.
Tuesday
Labour announced a package of child health initiatives. Over the next three years, Labour would introduce free hearing tests for all newborns and a free check-up for children before they start school, covering vision, hearing and immunisations. The number of "Well Child" checks for pre-schoolers would also be increased from six-and-a-half to eight.
National's Don Brash said he restrained himself from aggressively attacking Labour leader Helen Clark in the TVNZ debate because she is a woman. He said adults should not shout and scream at each other, and its a particularly bad example if men shout at women. Clark said it sounded like an excuse for losing.
New Zealand First released its party list and the former high profile head of a school for teenage parents, Susan Baragwanath, leap-frogged six sitting MPs to take the eighth spot.
Wednesday
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said she confident her party has not become irrelevant after being sidelined as a potential coalition partner by both National and Labour. Both of the major parties leaders said during the TVNZ Leaders' Debate that a coalition deal with the Maori Party is not their preferred option.
National and the Greens sparred on the campaign trail on the issues of foreign policy and tax. The Green Party claimed the foreign policy path the National Party is heading down would put New Zealand's international reputation at risk. National criticised the Greens tax policies and called on Labour to say how many of those policies would be considered in a coalition government.
Labour said it will help develop a domestic tourism campaign if it wins the election, to encourage New Zealanders to holiday at home.
Thursday
A Tagata Pasifika Digipoll showed Labour leader Helen Clark is the preferred prime minister for New Zealand's Pacific population by a wide margin. Clark with 72% support outstripped her closest rival, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters on 5.10%. National Leader Don Brash is on 4%.
A pre-election survey identified the skilled labour shortage as the key election issue for business, ahead of tax cuts or transport worries. The Business New Zealand election survey canvassed the views of over 1,000 businesses.
Winston Peters defended his party's stance on immigration telling a Greypower meeting in Whangarei that New Zealand First is not anti-Muslim or anti-Asian. Peters said the party is frustrated that some New Zealanders take umbrage at their strong stance.
Don Brash contradicted comments made by National's forestry spokesman about logging on the West Coast. National's Brian Connell - who said his party would roll back a ban on logging beech forests - was firstly contradicted by National's environment spokesman, then by Brash. The comments sent National into damage control, with Connell saying it was a matter of confusion reigning supreme and he had made a legitimate mistake.
Labour said it will hire more than 1,000 extra primary school teachers in the next three years, to reduce class sizes for new entrants. Helen Clark said she is committing Labour to hiring 1300 more primary teachers over three years, if it forms the next government.
Friday
The latest Herald DigiPoll had Labour with a comfortable lead. Labour had a lead of 9.3 points on 45.3%, up 1.4 points on last month, while National slipped 1.5 points to 36%. However, part of the poll was conducted before National's tax announcement on Monday and the other part after it.
The United Future Party said it would increase funding for parenting education as part of its family policy. Party leader Peter Dunne said the Families Commission would co-ordinate parenting education and relationship counselling to reduce that cost.
Both Labour and National said they have no plans to scrap the five cent roading levy on petrol, despite the price nearing a $1.50 a litre. Labour Leader Helen Clark said the excise tax is already spoken for and is going towards the largest construction programme for roading ever seen in New Zealand. National leader Don Brash said his party has absolutely no plans to change the petrol levy, but his party's tax reduction package will make a difference to motorists.
National's tax cut plan is finding favour with voters. A One News Colmar Brunton poll shows more than half (54%) of people polled prefer National's across the board tax cuts, to Labour's targeted assistance (38%).
The Maori Party staged a protest outside an election candidates' meeting organised by Greypower in Auckland, because it was not invited to take part. North Shore Grey Power had MPs and candidates speaking from Labour, National, New Zealand First, the Greens, United Future and the Progressives. Branch president Alan McCulloch told a local newspaper the Maori Party was not invited to the meeting, because he had no interest in racial separatism.
Labour released its Maori policy with a focus on economic development. The policy commits Labour to continuing programmes such as the Maori Business Facilitation Service and the National Maori Tourism Council.
Saturday
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said he will give his verdict next week on whether National's tax cuts are affordable. His decision may give voters a clue as to which of the major parties he would support after the election and that is something National leader Don Brash says voters deserve to know before casting their votes.
The latest One News Colmar Brunton poll shows Labour's Dover Samuels is running neck and neck with Maori Party candidate Hone Harawira in the northern Maori seat of Te Tai Tokerau. It is a vital electorate that goes from the rural north to urban Whangarei and North Auckland.
Sunday
The National Party is investigating how sensitive information was leaked to the media. The Sunday-Star Times newspaper says it received emails and faxes from a National party source, who said they were concerned at the influence of big business on the party. The documents show the Business Roundtable and show key Act figures helped Brash take the National Party leadership in a coup against Bill English two years ago.
The latest One News Collar Brunton poll, the first full poll
conducted since National announced its tax cuts shows National has
more than halved Labour's lead. Labour has slipped two points to
43, National is back in the hunt picking up three points to hit 40.
Last week the gap was eight now its only three.
