What (most of) the papers say: It's over to you

Can't decide how to vote? Sorry, you're on your own.

While newspaper editors and talkback hosts in most Western democracies consider it their solemn duty to help voters decide, the media consensus in New Zealand appears to be that punters can work it out for themselves.

The only major newspapers that are openly advocating a voting preference, the Sunday News and Sunday Star-Times, have both given very cautious, qualified editorial endorsements to Labour as the more experienced and competent party.

But even those editorials prompted outrage from conservative commentators - such as Newstalk ZB's Larry Williams, who derided the Sunday Star-Times in particular as "a disgrace, patronising and arrogant".

Star-Times editor Cate Brett said the paper had been scrupulously fair throughout the campaign, adding readers would still make their own decisions.

The editorial "certainly didn't direct readers to do anything", Brett said. "It appeared under the label 'opinion' and simply placed on record the view that Labour deserved another term - just," she said.

"It was as critical of Labour as it was of National. The Herald's assistant editor Fran O'Sullivan was much more forceful in her advocacy of a change of government this week, I thought."

Sunday News editor Chris Baldock said his editorial was "absolutely balanced. I think our readers would very much expect us to have a strong voice at a time such as this, just as they would seek the forthright views of a close friend or family member."

He described Williams' criticisms as "arrogant and patronising in the extreme, suggesting as they do that readers are not capable of making their own minds up".

The Otago Daily Times "is not endorsing any party but we are suggesting that a change looks likely and that the country is ready for a National-led crew in charge", the newspaper's editor, Robin Charteris, said. He described the paper's general line as "centrist".

All other major papers are telling readers to make up their own minds - even the remarkably self-restrained Bay of Plenty Times editor Craig Nicholson, who has spent the week defending himself from attacks by Tauranga MP Winston Peters, the leader of New Zealand First.

Mr Peters accuses Nicholson of "covering up" sexual harassment allegations against his rival, National candidate Bob Clarkson.

"It is a pity political candidates aren't willing to go before the electorate based purely on their policies," Nicholson said.

"But then politics is a dirty business." The Timaru Herald argued in an editorial this week that Peter Dunne seemed to be the only leader with integrity, but it would be "arrogant" to advise readers on how to vote, the newspaper's editor, Dave Wood, said.

Bryce Johns, editor of the Waikato Times, is not endorsing either side, although he has hinted in editorials that voters would be justified in voting against Hamilton's two local Labour MPs, Dianne Yates and Martin Gallagher, because "they are seen as not dynamic enough".

In Christchurch, the Press editor Paul Thompson said readers were "perfectly capable of making up their own minds".