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Source: ONE News -
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Coverage of the Election 2011 campaign for November 6.
6.20pm: Join us again tomorrow for more coverage.
6.11pm: ONE News Political Editor Guyon Espiner reminds viewers that Winston Peters also announced he would not work with Labour or National in 2005. He then took a post in the elected Labour government.
Of Peters' speech today, Espiner says NZ First is probably wary of aligning itself with a losing Labour party, while also playing on the fears of National governing alone.
5.46pm: A quick summary of today's developments:
The
Green Party launched their campaign in
Wellington, proposing to create 100,000 jobs in the clean
energy sector and to create a public KiwiSaver option to boost
individual KiwiSaver accounts.
Winston Peters announced that
New Zealand First will not be working with any
party after the election and is instead focusing on being a strong
opposition party.
National proposes to overhaul consumer
credit laws if it wins the election.
National's Bill English and Labour's David Cunliffe debated
economic issues on
Q+A this morning.
5.17pm: The Green Party has joined the savings and retirement debate, saying it wants to increase the KiwiSaver nest egg.
5.05pm: Just a reminder that a referendum on
our voting system is also being held on Novermber 26.
This is the public's chance to have a say on which voting system
should be used to elect our future parliaments.
To learn about the voting systems being considered click here.
4.52pm: Labour's opposition to plans for
lignite mining in Southland has been welcomed by the
Coal Action Network, which wants
to see the end of coal use.
"Labour has clearly taken on board the message that mining up to
six billion tonnes of lignite that lies beneath prime Southland
farmland will lead to many billion tonnes of greenhouse gas
emissions and also devastate the land, rivers, and air of
Southland," says spokesperson Tim Jones.
4.36pm:
National candidate Nikki Kaye is reaching for the
expat vote.
Her
website states: "No matter where in the world
youre living, Nikki would appreciate your support on Election
Day."
On her Facebook page, she invites followers to tag a poster with the names of "friends and family abroad to make sure their vote is counted in this election".
4.26pm: Third World disease is rampant in Northland, says the Mana Party.
Party leader Hone Harawira says many Maori can't afford the
$10-16 needed to take their children to the doctor.
He says the government needs to commit to eliminating third world
diseases in Tai Tokerau and deal with the crippling poverty in the
north.
4.18pm: Labour candidate Trevor Mallard posts a
blog titled
'Political speed dating' on Red
Alert.
He says five election forums will be held around New Zealand with a
Labour candidate at each, MC'd by Michele A'Court, Jeremy
Elwood, Darren Ludlow and Ian Harcourt.
"The forums have been organised by a group of unions and community
organisations joining together to bring you a fun, fast and furious
evening of political debate," he says.
3.54pm:
National's plan to clamp down on loan sharks is
too late for too many people, says Labour's Consumer Affairs
spokesperson Carol Beaumont.
"Thousands of New Zealanders have had their lives wrecked by
unscrupulous lenders," says Beaumont.
"Now National says it wants to change consumer credit laws to set
up a code of ethical lending.
"They've had three years to do something, and they've done nothing."
3.12pm: Save the Children is launching an online platform to let young people share their views before the election.
The Hear Our Voices Values Exchange lets young people look at and vote on the issues they want the new government to consider.
"New Zealand needs to hear and consider young people's opinions
and solutions to current issues,"says CEO of Save the Children Liz
Gibbs.
2.57pm:
A
video is posted of Green Party
co-leader Russel Norman juggling fruit.
"Is their no end to this man's talent?!" asks Metiria Turei.
2.52pm: Kris Faafoi, Labour candidate for Mana
electorate,
tweets that he's been at the Sikh
temple in Waitangirua with fellow Labour members Trevor Mallard and
Chris Hipkins.
"Wonderful hospitality and good Q+A," he says.
2.37pm: National's Bill English and Labour's
David Cunliffe debated the retirement age and asset sales this
morning.
Read the full
story of their debate.
2.24pm: Jessica Mutch, TVNZ political reporter, is tweeting from the NZ First media conference.
She says Winston Peters has been asked about jobs, Rena, law and order, student loans and the cost of glasses and going to dentist.
2.20pm: David Farrar asks on his Kiwiblog who the real winner is from David Cunliffe's "brain fart" about Judith Collins.
"The answer is David Parker," says Farrar.
"I've long advocated that Cunliffe is the most likely next
Labour Party Leader. In recent months Parker has become a viable
alternative."
2.01pm:
Sam Lotu-liga, National candidate for
Maungakiekie, sends out a
tweet from Onehunga:
"Released Commerce Policy with PM in Onehunga. Our Government is
getting serious about getting tough on loan sharks preying on
vulnerable!"
1.53pm: Winston Peters in his speech today:
"The real battle of this election will start after November 26 when the enormity of the plans for New Zealand will see the light of day.
"Thats when you will need New Zealand First. Thats when you will need the political street fighters on your side.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the position of Opposition is important."
1.43pm: The Democratic Party for Social Credit says a referendum is needed on the Transpacific Partnership Agreement.
"Because the restrictions on regulations would be in an international treaty they would override constitutions, and anything with constitutional force or greater that restricts lawmaking ability should be subject to a referendum," says John Ring, Foreign Affairs spokesman.
"Thus, the New Zealand government should not agree to the US proposals for regulatory coherence except if they are supported by a referendum in New Zealand."
1.33pm: NZ First leader Winston Peters says in a speech that the party will not form a government with National or Labour.
"New Zealand First is not going with National. New Zealand First is not going with Labour either. We are making that clear here today."
Instead, Peters says the party would focus on being a
strong Opposition party.
"You need more than an Opposition in Parliament. You need an
effective Opposition in Parliament. We have the credentials to be
that effective Opposition."
1.28pm:
In the wake of the Rena oil spill, Labour has
announced an environment policy today that would see an urgent
review of New Zealand's preparedness for marine oil spills.
The party also wants to ensure polluters are liable for oil spill clean-ups and financial losses, rather than the public.
1.15pm: Cameron Slater blogs on
"The Asset Sales Dichotomy".
"Of course while the Greens and Labour only want to protect public
assets, they are quite happy to steal, or abscond with private
assets or property rights," says Slater.
12.32pm: National Party leader John Key has
released National's
commerce policy.
The main proposals are to target loan sharks, pass the
Financial Markets Conduct Bill and Commerce (Cartels and Other
Matters) Amendment Bill, tighten the rules for company directors
and company registration, and require all New Zealand companies to
have either one resident director or a local agent.
12.23pm: The Green Party is proposing a public KiwiSaver option to cut down fees, resulting in a boost for individual KiwiSaver accounts
"If National and Labour are going to require people to make greater contributions to their KiwiSaver funds, the Green Party is going to add value to New Zealanders' KiwiSaver scheme by reducing the fees and costs they face," co-leader Russel Norman says.
"A significant part of New Zealanders' savings get eaten away by costs and fees. By offering a public KiwiSaver option, we can lower costs sizably, saving tens of thousands of dollars."
12.06pm: Meanwhile, the New Zealand Alliance Party has announced its candidates and party list for the election.
There are fourteen list candidates. Five of these are also standing in electorates.
Top five on the list are Kay Murray, Andrew McKenzie, Kevin Campbell, Jim Flynn and Paul Piesse.
12.03pm: Greens candidate Gareth Hughes tweets:
"Russel Norman announces Green policy for a Kiwi public option for KiwiSaver to avoid high charges & fees of Aussie Banks."
11.59am: Opening the Greens' launch, actress
Robyn Malcolm quips:
"We have a PM that spends his time trying to get on the front of
Woman's Weekly - I thought that was my job."
11.55am:
National's tougher consumer credit laws can be
seen
here .
11.51am: At the Greens' campaign launch, co-leader Russel Norman tells the audience that New Zealand's economic success depends on the health of our environment.
"We have to make our clean, green brand into a reality."
He asks the audience to repeat his words - "No environment, no
economy!"
The next wave of innovation is in smart, green energy and
economics, says Norman. He says investing in this area has the
ability to make thousands of new jobs in New Zealand.
11.43am: And from the same TVNZ story below, these are National's main plans to stablise the economy:
Partial asset sales of four SOEs and more of Air New Zealand to
raise between $5 billion and $7 billion.
A KiwiSaver auto-enrolment scheme once the accounts are back in
surplus.
Increasing minimum KiwiSaver contributions by employers and
employees from 2% to 3% in 2013.
New spending caps of $800 million in 2012 and 2013 and $1.2 billion
in 2014.
Back in surplus by 2014/15.
11.42: Watch the Green Party campaign launch live
here:
11.35am: From a TVNZ news story this morning, here's an update on the key planks of Labour's economic plans:
A capital gains tax levied at 15%, except on the family home, to
raise $809 million within four years.
A new top rate of income tax levied at 39%, to raise $1.2 billion
over four years.
Compulsory KiwiSaver for all workers from 2014.
No asset sales, retaining more SOE dividends.
Back in surplus by 2014/15.
Start lifting the pension age from 65 to 67 over 12 years, starting
in 2020.
11.28am: In his speech at the Greens' campaign launch, co-leader Russel Norman remembers former party co-leader Rod Donald who passed away in 2005.
11.20am: Bill English announces that National intends to crack down on credit providers exploiting vulnerable people.
He outlines a number of changes, including extending the 'cooling-off period', where a consumer has the right to cancel a credit contract, from three to five working days.
"People need access to affordable credit. For some people who
are a higher lending risk, the cost of credit will always be higher
but that does not justify the highly exploitive and irresponsible
lending practices of some lenders," English says.
11.08am:
The Campaign for MMP group brings out a
press release today about a group
of New Zealand writers adding their voice to the campaign.
Included in the list are Tessa Duder, Maurice Gee, Patricia
Grace and Witi Ihimaera.
11.00am:
Green Party about to launch their campaign. We'll
bring details shortly.
10.58am:
Twitter user
Kiwi1960 wonders how many
politicians who get elected will still bother using Twitter after
the election.
10.38am: United Future Party leader Peter Dunne
tweets his whereabouts.
"Khandallah School fair this morning, followed by tree plantings
this afternoon to celebrate the World Cup win. Let's hope the
weather holds."
10.33am: Labour candidate
Grant Robertson says a core part
of his party's Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy is the creation of
Creative Industries Apprenticeships.
Robertson says these will "support people into the industry to give
us the workforce that can keep our creative industries going".
10.22am: Blogger
Cameron Slater writes that a
defining moment in this election campaign took place on Wednesday
when Key and Goff appeared in The Press debate.
Slater says: ".....what matters is what has been reported, that
Phil Goff couldnt answer a simple question about how he was going
to pay for his promises.
"That was the defining moment and it is perpelxing. Why didnt Phil
Goff know? Why wasnt he prepared?"
10.15am: Labour leader Phil Goff tweets a photo of himself with volunteers at Avondale Markets in West Auckland.
10.04am: On TV1's Marae Investigates, we meet the candidates battling to win the hearts of Te Tai Tonga voters in the coming election.
9.59am: Paul Holmes says of this morning's Q+A
debate that, true to the major political parties' campaigns thus
far, English wasn't out to rock any boats and Cunliffe was on the
attack.
On the retirement age, economist Gareth Morgan says Labour's
painting a "very black picture". He also says the public is sick of
money being "sucked out" to pay for the elderly and jokes that many
people would like to see the retirement age raised to 90.
Michael Barnett, CEO Auckland Chamber of Commerce, says people are
going to work longer anyway.
9.53am: On Q+A, David Cunliffe says National has its "head in the sand" and doesn't have the courage to touch the retirement age.
"Spending is Labour's DNA," says Bill English.
Espiner has to ask Cunliffe to stop speaking over top of
English.
9.46am: Espiner looks at TVNZ's Colmar Brunton
poll showing New Zealand is split down the middle over raising the
retirement age to 67.
Cunliffe says the fairest way to raise the retirement age is
through a long, gradual transition.
9.42am: On Labour's Capital Gains Tax, David Cunliffe gives a guarantee on Q+A that the tax would not go higher than 15%.
9.35am: Poltical editor Guyon Espiner is with
National's Bill English and Labour's David Cunliffe on Q+A.
Talking about assest sales, English says the 49% sales will give
the government an opportunity to get more cash to invest in other
infrastructure, without having to borrow it.
Espiner asks how English can guarantee being able gain $5-7
billion from asset sales, given the sale prices will depend on the
market. English replies that he "can't guarantee the amount" but
says "they're going to be attractive to investors".
9.18am: With regard to the Green Party's aim of
producing 100,000 'green jobs', Michael Barnett, CEO Auckland
Chamber of Commerce, tells Q+A that National should have come up
with a similar goal.
Barnett says the clean energy sector is growing and National
are missing out on votes by not recognising
that.
9.12am: Paul Holmes has Green Party co-leader
Russel Norman live on Q+A.
Norman says the Greens want to create 100,000 green jobs, the bulk
from clean energy opportunities.
"If you look internationally, that's where the big growth is,"
says Norman.
8.54am: Political commentator Bill Ralston says on
'The Nation' that Labour are struggling to close the polling
gap.
8.32am: The Green Party has
its election campaign kick-off in Wellington at 11:30am.
Labour is releasing its plan to protect the environment, in
Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, 12:00pm.
8.12am:
On
Q+A this morning National's Bill English and
Labour's David Cunliffe are live with Guyon Espiner to discuss the
major parties' plans for growth and jobs, wages and tax. Will they
work? And how will they affect you?
The Green Party launch their campaign today and Paul Holmes will interview co-leader Russel Norman about poverty, polls and coalitions.
On the panel, Jon Johansson, Gareth Morgan and Michael
Barnett.
8.07am: Welcome back to our live election updates.
Less then three weeks now until Election 2011.
