Round one to John Key 

John Key rescued National's lacklustre campaign in 90 minutes on TV One last night.

He won the first head to head leaders' debate against Helen Clark - providing an upset victory against a vastly more experienced opponent.

Key had the advantage of lower expectations as a first time leader in an election campaign.

But he also won because he spoke directly to people, using clear language and framing complex issues in a way voters could understand.

When asked to define wealth and poverty Clark talked laudably about lifting 130,000 people out of poverty but then went on to compare that with the record of the Netherlands, the way an academic might.

Key said that wealth was when you didn't have to worry about paying the power bill or finding the money to fix the car.

The National leader did have his weak moments. His opening address was a little clumsy and over rehearsed. He struggled through his recollections of the Springbok Tour, declaring his position as "mildly pro-Tour".

But then that was 27 years ago and his dismissal of its relevance today only played into his hands of this election not being about the ideological battle of the 1970s and the 1980s but about who has a strong vision for the future.

Key was well briefed but not pedantic. He also caught Clark off guard a little with his interjections, which were often light hearted jibes injected with a hint of scorn.

Clark also landed some blows against the National leader, accusing him of "wrecking Kiwi Saver" and returning to her theme of being the leader to trust in the global financial crisis.

She also spoke strongly on education, using Labour's universal student allowances policy to flesh out her dream of an education system that ensures the type of access and opportunity available to people of her generation.

The three term Prime Minister though lacked the energy we saw at her campaign launch on Sunday. She was as commandingly briefed as ever but it came across as a series of lists and numbers.

Key was able to capture the popular essence of the subjects debated so that his statements rose above arcane policy-speak.

Law and order became an exasperation that "shop keepers are in the most dangerous profession" in the country.

He tapped into the psychology of the parent who is embarrassed that they can't pay their school fees.

Key won the first debate - partly because no one expected him too but also because he had to.

National's campaign had been disastrous to that point and had set the party on course to lose the un-losable election.

Last night's performance didn't ensure that won't happen but it did put National back in the game.

About Guyon
Guyon Espiner is TVNZ's political editor. He has covered politics from the press gallery in parliament since 1998 and took over as political editor from Mark Sainsbury in January 2006 ... more

Got an opinion an the issues that Guyon is discussing? Have your say on the message board below.

Add a Comment:

post new comment

Geoff Keey ; 2009-08-14 @ 01:47 NZDT  

Guyon, I was surprised to see you citing the Government's climate change cost estimates so uncritically given the extent to which they have been discredited.

add to this thread  post new comment

stephen6565 ; 2009-08-13 @ 22:15 NZDT  

Another very poor article. You are part of the fourth estate and should be asking the hard questions of the govt. Making the govt accountable is not just the oppositions job. This whole article is just rubbish 'feelings' centred around your personal political views. Stick to policy and 'news' items.

add to this thread  post new comment

geekypolitics ; 2009-08-11 @ 19:34 NZDT  

Mr. Espiner has some good advice for Labour especially on the environment, but the idea that Goff should "cuddle" up to Key is appalling. It is always difficult for the opposition to take a stance on matters that are of an international nature, as the reputation of the country as a united entity is at stake. Democrats in the U.S. had the same problem with regards to the Iraq War. I'd hate to see Labour make the same mistake in the name of "solidarity behind the troops."

add to this thread  post new comment

Andrew Nichols ; 2009-08-11 @ 14:17 NZDT  

"Polls in Britain showed, counter-intuitively, that support for their troop deployment increased even as casualties mounted. " You're flat wrong! Current polling in the UKs major dailies actually shows majority and growing option to Britains involvement in Obams purposeless war. Not that that's ever bothered the govt there, who in time honoured fashion enjoy perpetuating "Britains post WW2 role as the Greeks to the US Empire" (Harold McMillan 1943)

add to this thread  post new comment

Kereama ; 2009-08-11 @ 13:39 NZDT  

Of course Labour need to find their direction! They lost the election and they lost touch with grassroots NZ - National did too once, and it took them years to get back on track - but they did. The point is, the "road to nowhere" isn't permanent (unless you're Winston Peters... let's hope anyway). While it may be the opposition's role to critique the Government, the media has an obligation to do so also. Let the opposition "find" themselves and focus instead on the ones that count.

add to this thread  post new comment