National's leashed mutt goes walkies

Today, Tau Henare declares, he is a "human hoarding". At 6.50am at the chilly intersection of Lincoln Rd and Universal Drive, West Auckland, the former New Zealand First Cabinet minister is walking lines of traffic at the lights as a handful of helpers wave "Vote National" signs.

"Sometimes people give you one finger, which means they're voting for you once," explains helper Scott Simpson, describing himself as an Opposition "foot soldier" (he's actually a regional committee chairman). "And if we get two fingers, that means two votes."

The occasional motorist adds a word which starts with "w" and ends with "r", sometimes adorning it with an adjective which hurts your ears this soon after sun-up.

Some who see Mr Henare buzzing the lines of cars maintain the grim don't-make-eye-contact countenance generally reserved for window-washers. But more often, motorists smile at the silly buggers on the traffic island and wave or toot.

Plenty respond to Mr Henare's approach by winding down their windows for postcards about National's promised tax cuts and a few seconds of his jokey, blokey self.

Mr Henare, 44, who won Te Tai Tokerau for New Zealand First in 1993 and 1996 before voters got fed up with the party, has company: Waitakere candidate and office manager Paula Bennett, who is energetically bouncing up and down while holding a sign, and the more buttoned-down New Lynn candidate, Mita Harris, a Department of Conservation staffer.

This campaign is "lots more fun" than its predecessors, says Mr Henare, thanks to the congenial company "and the mood of the country. We've had a few 'bugger-offs', but the majority of people have been civil."

Mr Henare has little hope of denting Te Atatu MP Chris Carter's 12,932 majority. But the list should get him in: Mr Henare got the 29th spot after he promised to bring a little "mongrel" to National.

A leashed mutt, that is. Mr Henare, a full-timer with the Kohanga Reo National Trust, says he has mellowed since the days of the New Zealand First "Tight Five", with their sunglasses and swagger.

He has become, he claims, less black-and-white in his views. But the likeable Westie larrikin is still there.

A truckie winds down his window as he comes level with Ms Bennett at the lights. "She's trying to chat you up, mate!" heckles Mr Henare.

At 7.50am, it's time to pack up the signs, and get home. It's Mr Henare's job to get the younger of his five kids, aged from 11 and 21, off to school. And then he's going to see if he can tour "six or seven rest homes".

"If any of them say no, I'll just keep on going."

Te Atatu

* Held by Chris Carter (Labour) with a 12,932-vote majority.

* Candidates: Stella Te Paeru Browne-Knowles (New Zealand Family Rights Protection Party), Chris Carter (Labour), Moetu Davis (New Zealand First), Kath Dewar (Green Party), Bruce Haycock (Act), Tau Henare (National), Adele Hughes (Equal Values Party), Betty Jenkins (Christian Heritage NZ), John Kotoisuva (Destiny New Zealand), Kelvin Martin (Maori Party), Pavitra Roy (Progressive Party), Gregory Trichon (Direct Democracy Party), Jo van Kempen (United Future New Zealand), Bob van Ruyssevelt (Alliance).