With all this going on, politicians were struggling to gain some limelight.
After the National Party announced its $24 billion roading policy focused mainly on roads earlier in the week, Labour unveiled a $35 billion-$45.5bn programme to build a pair of three-lane tunnels for traffic and another for trains under Auckland Harbour. This would be implemented over decades and need cross-party support.
While the Auckland vote is always vital in an MMP election, some critics saw this as a bridge too far and National were soon on the attack, saying the plan was unfunded and “a fantasy”. The Green Party said it was too costly and emissions-intensive.
The Greens had an expensive policy of their own to reveal at the weekend, announcing a fully funded dental service for all New Zealanders, which they would fund by a wealth tax.
While it will raise the hackles of the centre right, this policy may have been the winner from the auction so far as there is widespread concern at the cost of dental services for lower and even middle income families. There was also support from NZ Dental Association chief executive Dr Mo Amso who welcomed the policy for “getting the conversation going”, calling it “a long time coming”.
ACT meanwhile was threatening to wreak havoc on civil servants by cutting 6000 jobs from what leader David Seymour sees as a bloated Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Seymour also had his axe ready for a number of government projects including Three Waters.
With polls continuing to show that neither of the major parties would be able to govern alone, the policies of the smaller parties whose support they would need gain greater significance.
All this and the election campaign has not officially started — what next?
