Election 2011: Leaders wind up with bus tours

Labour leader Phil Goff will spend Friday on a bus between Rotorua and Auckland, highlighting his party's opposition to state asset sales by visiting power stations and dams. Photo / Natalie Slade

Both John Key and Phil Goff will wind up their campaigns by catching a bus - both intend to make whistle-stop tours of the North Island for the last sprint to the election line.

National leader John Key has forgone the plane he chartered in 2008 and instead opted to travel up the North Island on National's campaign bus for two days, perhaps wary of criticism for going by air during a campaign which has focused on frugal policies and the economy.

Labour leader Phil Goff will spend Friday on a bus between Rotorua and Auckland, highlighting his party's opposition to state asset sales by visiting power stations and dams before winding up with a barbecue in Auckland.

Both leaders have refined their messages for the final week, claiming voters have a stark choice.

While Mr Goff's "stark choice" centres on asset sales, Mr Key is focusing on stability of government and the economy.

Yesterday, Mr Key stuck to shanks' pony for walkabouts on his final campaign stops in the South Island. He visited Dunedin and Christchurch, where he went out to Rangiora to help shore up National candidate Kate Wilkinson's chances in the marginal Waimakariri seat.

He had one curly experience in Dunedin, when a mother passed over her smiling baby Ruby and assured him, "She loves people." Right on cue, Ruby began to cry.

And in Rangiora, he disappointed some secondary students who had seen all the police and throng and gone to investigate, only to find Mr Key.

"We thought there was, like, a robbery or something," one boy said.

"Not as exciting as a robbery. Just a walkabout." Mr Key apologised.

He did not have an easy ride all day - one woman wanted to shake his hand but said she would not vote for him: "I'm Labour."

In Rangiora, a woman repeatedly yelled at him to "stop fracking" while another objected to state asset sales and would not be won over by his argument that the Government would retain a majority stake and use the money to pay for schools.

However, his day ended on a couple of good notes. He told a group of schoolboys to "go home and tell your parents to vote for us". One boy responded with, "I think they already are."

Finally, after ordering a chocomint milkshake from a Rangiora cafe, he was passed a table number with "1" on it. "Look at that!" he marvelled, holding it up for all to see. "Isn't that just the fickle finger of fate."

Focusing on the marginals, he will visit New Plymouth for a second time. Labour's Andrew Little is standing in the seat, which Labour held until 2008 when Jonathan Young took it by 105 votes.