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Breakfast co-host Corin Dann compares the State of the Nation speeches given by Obama, Key and Goff.
It was a State of the Nation fest this week with John Key, Phil Goff and US President Barack Obama all delivering their traditional set piece visions for the coming year.
All three speeches tended to focus on economic issues, including high debt, the cost of living and unemployment.
Not really surprising given the fact that both the New Zealand and US economies are still struggling to recover from the global financial crisis.
Obama's speech was of course dripping in political theatre and delivered with his usual oratory brilliance.
Something Prime Minister Key and Labour leader Goff could only dream of being able to replicate.
However they should not sell themselves short. I thought both of their speeches were well thought out and clever. Crucially both men were true to their respective left wing and right wing ideologies.
President Obama on the other hand chose to shy away from his left wing roots and instead focused his attention on the centre of the political spectrum.
It's been a bruising 12 months for the Democrats having lost control of the House of Representatives. Obama desperately needs to reconnect with independent voters, who have become wary of Democrat health care reforms and spending programmes.
Rather than highlight his reform achievements, Obama decided to appeal to American patriotism.
He spoke stirringly of the US victory over Russia in the space race and how the US needed to once again call on that spirit as it fights in a global competition for jobs.
It was another beautifully worded speech. But not one that was big on details.
Goff and Key on the other hand did offer some new and detailed reform proposals.
Labour returned to its roots with a new policy that will see all taxpayers getting the first $5000 tax free. Higher income earners - most likely those earning over $120,000 - will also face a new top tax rate.
The policy is not likely to be a circuit breaker for Labour. However I think Goff is smart to focus his attention on wealth distribution.
Most Western economies, including New Zealand, are grappling with a massive and increasing wealth divide.
It's an issue that needs to be debated and discussed.
And Goff has essentially kicked off that debate by saying to voters that if you elect him, he will be the one to ensure that the fruits of the economy are divvied up in a more equitable way than they have been.
Key was quick to dismiss the policy as unaffordable.
However he knows deep down that the weak economic recovery, along with the rising cost of living, will put his government under pressure this year.
Food, power and petrol prices are all potentially on the way up and - unlike previous spikes - they may well stay up.
So it was equally smart of Key this week to signal that he would make the economy his core election issue as well.
What was surprising, though, was that Key took an early gamble in his state of the nation address and announced a policy of partial sales of state assets .
This is risky stuff as asset sales are still hugely unpopular after the mistakes of the 80s and 90s.
But there is no secret agenda here and I believe he is right to raise the issue now.
Like Labour's issue of income distribution, we also need a debate about how we are going to realistically lift the country's longer term economic fortunes.
Selling up parts of some state assets might help, who knows? Buts let's at least have the debate, hear the evidence for and against. If voters still don't like it, they can let their voice be heard at the polling booth.
What I like about both the Goff and Key's speeches this week is that they leave voters in no doubt about where they stand and where they think the country needs to go.
No longer can voters accuse the two main parties of being two alike. There are clear differences.
We have a contest again, a battle of ideas and arguments. As citizens living in a social democracy that is exactly what we want isn't it?
* Dann hosts Breakfast with Petra Bagust each weekday morning and writes weekly for tvnz.co.nz. Read all his articles here.
