Election ballot box. Photo / Richard Robinson
4.42pm: Labour broadcasing spokeswoman Clare Curran has pledged a crackdown on blaring ads - but just why are ads so loud? Post-production consultant Dylan Reeve told the National Business Review that while broadcasters specify a maximum "peak" audio level - the loudest any part of the audio can be - there was no minimum noise level. As such, programmes tend to have a lower average noise level.
3:59pm: Trevor Mallard has given Labour's opinion regarding the temporary Christchurch stadium. According to Newstalk ZB, National is moving too fast and Dunedin has proven that a good stadium can be built quickly. He also wondered why the other icons like the cathedral are not also being supported. Full story here.
3:43pm: The IHC have produced a call to action on Scoop which applauds the focus on children in the upcoming election, but also says that disabled children must be recognised as well. The lack of options and availablility of reponsible care for children suffering from disability in schools needs to be addressed in this election, said representatives.
3:21pm: Labour has released a press release attacking John Key again: John Key is in denial over his Government's record of persistently high unemployment, increasing child poverty and a double credit downgrade, said Labour Campaign spokesperson Grant Robertson.
"This is not about John Key as a person. This is about the record of his government. The fact is he has not led New Zealanders to the brighter future he promised them," Grant Robertson said.
3:12pm: ACT proposed a Resource Management Act overhaul to make it easier to get consents, according to 3news.co.nz. ACT wants to change the act to only refer to direct land, air or water damage as a result of development, as right now consents can be denied on the basis of aesthetic values alone.
3:05pm: Political reporter John Armstrong wrote: Labour's promises stretch so far in the future that they will never come to pass. "Some things are never going to happen because the date of implementation is so far in the future that what happens in the interim will make implementation either very difficult, impossible or even unnecessary." Full story here.
2:52pm: ACT leader Dr Don Brash gave a speech to the Whangarei Rotary Club today about the state of the economy. He said the right policy choices will fix the economic problems the nation is facing.
2:47pm: The Beneficiary Advisory Service support Labour's child poverty policy. According to a press release these policy's are a good start but Labour still needs to give more.
2:39pm: The Greens will release their Copyright (Parody and Satire) Ammendment Bill online tomorrow. This bill will allow copyrighted works to be used for comedy or satire purposes. Gareth Hughes will be releasing the policy here.
2:30pm: National has released a press release that says unemployment benefit numbers dropped by 791 last October, according to Social Development and Employment minister Paula Bennett.
2:25pm: Tweeted by 3NewsEditor James Murray
"RT @CitizenBomber Am reviewing John Key and Phil Goff for 60minutes #votenz"
2:18pm: Metiria Turia on Radio Live: "We would rather see a Green government than a National government. We would rather see a Green government than a Labour government." She said the ideal outcome will be a Green-Labour government.
2:08pm: Otago University politics lecturer Dr Bryce Edwards has accused the Greens of running a "fundamentally dishonest campaign line". He has written that Green co-leader Russell Norman suggested the only way to get rid of National was to vote Labour or Green. Full story here.
1:54pm: Metiria Turia on Radio Live said it was highly unlikely that the Greens could ever be in a coalition with National because their are so many National policies that the Greens don't agree with. However she said they could all work together in parliament and have before "to get things done". They won't rule out working with National.
1:51pm: Green party tweeted:
"Greens' Russel Norman to paddle the polluted Tukituki" to highlight the need for clean rivers. See here for the story.
1:44pm: Green Party co-leaders Russell Norman and Metiria Turia are currently on Radio Live discussing the possibility of a "teal deal" between Green and National. They have been questioned about fracking, discussing the creation of green jobs and addressing child poverty.
1:30pm: Labour MP Kelvin Davis endorsed Shane Jones for Labour leadership on nzherald.co.nz live chat today.
12:35pm: Labour tweeted @nzlabour
"157,000 New Zealanders are now without jobs, National lacks a plan to get Kiwis back into work"
12:14pm: TVNZ political reporter Jessica Mutch tweeted:
"John Key says Rugby League Park will cost $20m, Govt will put in about $6m. Will hold 17,000. Will host Ireland match when build #votenz
Annette King @annetterongotai responded in tweet: "@MutchJessica but we don't have enough money for Kids !!"
12:05pm: On the Midday Report: ACT leader Dr Don Brash said he is "reasonably confident" that ACT Epsom candidate John Banks can win the seat in Epsom, "with or without the endorsement of John Key."
12:01pm: Radio New Zealand's Midday Report said Phil Goff is putting pressure on John Key to explain his record as Prime Minister. He said the country has gone "backwards" since John Key came to power.
11:52am: John Key has labelled Labour's child policy a "welfare trap" on tv3.co.nz.
11:46am: Whaleoil also tweeted "@phil_goff you will be joining them in 19 days."
11:41am: Whaleoil Blogger Cameron Slater has posted in his blog that Progressive Party MP Jim Anderton breached section 204B of the Electoral act. Anderton sent out letters to voters in Wigram endorsing Megan Woods. The Electoral commission has since referred the matter to the police.
11:35am: New Zealand Herald reporter Claire Trevett wrote PM John Key has visited the site of a new retirement village in Christchurch this morning. Several All Blacks are investors in the company developing the Park Lane Retirement Village in Addington, including Kieran Read and Andy Ellis who stopped off on the way to the Addington races. Dan Carter, another investor, was unable to attend but Mr Key said he had texted him telling him to "look after my fellow shareholders."
Mr Key told them the last half of the World Cup final was "the worse 40 minutes of my life."
Mr Key also asked Ellis for tips at the Addington Races this afternoon after Read said Ellis had the inside word from trainers. Mr Key said it was good to see development underway in Christchurch. Key also revealed he had enjoyed a break from campaigning.
11:30am: Patrick Gower tweeted "Phil goff says there is no reason to be 'smug' about John key's record" #votenz
11:25am: Patrick Gower tweeted:
"Phil goff has referred to John key as 'smug' but apparently it's not a personal attack" #votenz
11:20am: Political reporter Patrick Gower tweeted: "Rail and maritime workers listening to Goff" #votenz. With pic.
11:12am: Phil Goff has launched an attack on the Prime Minister by releasing a list of the "Top 10 things you won't hear on Letterman," to tv3.co.nz. Some examples on the list include Unemployment is up 50%, 100,000 people have left for Australia and Prices have gone up 4 times faster than incomes.
11:08am: Newstalk ZB reported that Prime Minister John Key is refusing to release information on the decision to redeploy the SAS to Afghanistan. The reasoning is any documents made public would prejudice security and defence and compromise the ability of officials to give advice.
11:02am: New Zealand Herald reporters Vaimoana Tapaleao and Bernard Osman have written that support fo ACT Epsom candidate John Banks is thin outside wealthy pockets. Mr Banks is not popular with the liberal fringes of the Epsom electorate according to a Herald survey.
10:55am Radio Australia ABC reported on their site last night that the Rena Oil spill will boost the Green Party's prospects of getting elected. Dr Bryce Edwards, a politics lecturer at Otago University was interviewed. He said: "It certainly has a huge potential for the Greens. I think they actually could get easily 10 per cent in this general election. Eleven, 12 per cent is certainly a possibility." For the full transcript see here.
10:45am: Radio Live reported Ex-ACT MP David Garrett has appeared in court on a drink driving charge. He pleaded not guilty to the offence.
10:31am: Scoop political analyst Gordan Campbell has written about possible options for the Green Party if they get elected into government with National.
10:25am: Candidates from the National, Labour and Green Parties spoke to an audience in Auckland last week, outlining their parties' plans to meet the challenge of climate change. The debate ranged from whether New Zealand can become carbon-free to the likelihood of a cross-party agreement on long-term issues that last more than an election cycle, and from the effect of investing in roads to the question of bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). See the video here.
10:19am: New Zealand Herald reporters Yvonne Tahana, Jarrod Booker and Simon Collins report the Mood of the Nation. They write that Labour's policy of lifting minimum wage to $15 per hour will cost Labour Asian votes because for many small business owners this will be unaffordable.
10:09am: Advance voting opens tomorrow. Mobile advance voting facilities will be set up in Christchurch, Raoul Island and Scott Base, Antarctica. More at the Electoral Commission website.
10:01am: Radio NZ also reported that National is doing everything they can to retain the New Plymouth seat. The New Plymouth National office is spending more money on this campaign than it has at any other point because they want to make sure Labour MP and New Plymouth representative Andrew Little does not get the seat.
10:00am: Radio New Zealand reported that a second ACT MP has criticised the National party. ACT MP Kevin Moretti said he regrets the agreement between ACT and National because he would have been the representative to retain the New Plymouth seat.
9:53am: TVNZ reported that employers question the cost of Labour's policy which will extend paid parental leave.
9:29am: Phil Goff defended Labour's child poverty plan on TVNZ's Breakfast programme. "Investing in our kids is actually the best investment we can make," he said.
9:10am: Red Alert blog tweeted that Young Labour declares Kaipara Dam "Not for sale". With pic.
9:01am: Newstalk ZB reports that National's promise to get hard on criminals is being welcomed by families of murder victims.
8:45am: Labour's promise to increase paid parental leave was discussed on TVNZ's Breakfast this morning. CEO of Employers and Manufacturers Association, Kim Campbell, said this would be good social policy but was dubious as to whether Labour could afford it.
8:29am: New Zealand Herald political editor Audrey Young has written about Labour's anti-poverty plan. The plan will take seven years to phase in and will help sole parents maintain their standard of living.
8:26am: Key said that he was concerned that Labour's welfare reforms will trap people on welfare. He also implied that the reason Phil Goff is not on the billboards is because Labour does not have much faith in him as a leader.
8:23am: Key talked about child poverty: "There is no strict measure of poverty in NZ so it becomes subjective. The only measure we have on the record is the Ministry of Social Development report in 2010." A big chunk of the deficit was used to help people through the recession. "All I can say is in those conditions we did the best we could."
8:17am: John Key said Labour has a "schizophrenic approach" to the economy and the numbers don't add up. There is a very "large price tag" on Labour's children's policy announced yesterday. He said National plan to "drag spending curves back down".
8:14am: John Key said that National wants to get back to surplus as soon as possible and that all comes down to deficit management. More infrastructure is needed and oil and gas exploration is still on the table. He admitted National started the mining debate in the wrong order. National is still looking at options to expand infrastructure on mining.
8:09am: Prime Minister John Key is interviewed on Morning Report about whether National will endorse ACT's candidate John Banks in Epsom. He said he doesn't think it will make a difference if ACT runs a campaign in New Plymouth in response to accusations by ACT party member Morris Hey yesterday. You can read what Mr Hey told John Key when he caught up with him on the campaign trail in New Plymouth yesterday here.
8.00am: Don Brash admitted on Radio New Zealand's Morning Report that ACT's low rating in the polls is an indictment of his leadership. He said National should be doing more to help ACT and that ACT is the ideal "centre right" ally for National.