Plain English - A Weekly Update From Bill English, National Party Leader
An issues-based campaign
Campaigning is the best part of politics. The public actually get interested in politics for a few, brief glorious
weeks, and the politicians are reminded of the awesome power of democracy - thousands of people making up their own
mind, instead of the weekly diet of media making it up for them. I'll be everywhere running a vigorous, fast-moving
campaign with the people, rather than the measured careful presidential style.
At any rate, National has had a good start. Labour made the mistake of trying to dress up their opportunism, when it
would have been better to openly say they thought it suited them now. I am proud to lead the first Opposition in the
Westminster system to bring down a Government on points of order. There is no greater authority for this than Helen
Clark. Talkback radio in particular has been strongly against the snap election.
Winston Peters said Labour threw in the towel, and Rod Donald had harsh words for Labour. Quite unexpectedly, Labour go
into this campaign with no friends except for Jim Anderton. In the final vote to adjourn Parliament, the Greens and NZ
First abstained. They can only succeed by taking Labour votes off them, not by supporting them. In '99 National had to
deal with 4 parties opposing them. Now Labour has to do it. How did Helen manage to lose all her friends so quickly?
Setting the bar too high
Labour have set the bar at 50% of the vote - they have to stay there to pull off the gamble. Already they are losing
more solid Labour votes to us over issues like tougher sentencing and resolving Treaty claims. As Labour drop into the
40s tactical National voters will face the reality - Labour simply can't get there on their own.
Simple question - simple answer
As the campaign progresses, Labour will have to answer this question - will they do a deal with the Greens - yes or no?
With support from National, Labour could have refused to bring in the GM moratorium last year. Instead, they chose to do
a deal with the Greens. If Labour had stuck to its principles then it wouldn't have a problem now. Now the Greens are
simply telling Labour to do what it has already agreed once to do - continue the moratorium. Of course, Helen Clark will
do a deal with the Greens; she has done it before on the GM issue and she will need the Greens to be in Government.
Issues matter
We will be campaigning on issues. We expect Labour to campaign on polling - "vote for us because we are ahead." I
started campaigning two weeks ago and I've had an excellent response. I've run public meetings, visited schools and
workplaces. Students like our bursary policy (A bursary $2000, B Bursary $1000). Everyone supports quick resolution of
Treaty claims, and tougher sentences. There is growing support for our policy to rerun the referendum on MMP, and it
will grow further when people realise it's an abomination of democracy to expect them to vote for policies they oppose
to get stable government.
The brave debater
Helen Clark has avoided head-to-head debate with me since I became leader - and it's not for lack of trying on our part.
I'm looking forward to it.
Restoring the airforce
New Zealanders are telling me everywhere I go that they strongly oppose Labour's decision to scrap the Skyhawks. This
week, I released our defence policy, which commits to restoring an air combat wing by working with Australia. We want
closer military relationships with Australia and the US. We need to lift our pitiful level of spending on defence and
pull our weight in the region, rather than bludging off our neighbours. It's very important to build public consensus
around the defence issue. Labour didn't bother with the Skyhawks, and the public have bitterly resented this. We will
make sure the public is involved and that defence policy has agreement around it, rather than becoming a divisive issue.
National's Epsom MP Richard Worth, who has a long involvement with the military, has taken over the defence
spokesmanship from the retiring Max Bradford.
Thank you to the public
I want to thank the New Zealand public for the enormous support that they have given me over the last week, after the
Fight for Life event.
spread the word...
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