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The Prime Minister is urging people to be wary of National's tax cuts policy, likely to be announced on Wednesday, as Labour's election bandwagon hit Auckland's weekend markets.
After campaigning in Otara on Saturday, Helen Clark told the crowd at the Avondale market yesterday to reject, and laugh at National's tax policy - regardless of the size of cuts.
"If they're announcing mega tax cuts, people should just laugh at them." Even if it was just at $18 a week more than Labour's package, she said people should still be wary.
"Every $10 to $15 you add on to a tax cut right now means things you can't do - for our health system, for our old folks, for our children, and for putting more police on the streets."
Helen Clark also attacked National's decision to bring forward announcing its tax policy. National has indicated it will be announcing its tax cuts on Wednesday, two days after the Government's books are opened, instead of its campaign launch this weekend to reassure voters concerned by the impact of the global financial crisis.
"We have held back on announcing new policy because of what is happening in the international economy. We have been holding back to see where things settle ... but the National Party says they're going to announce theirs, regardless," she said.
Helen Clark won applause as she spoke of how her government has been able to make the lives of New Zealanders and immigrants "better off" - through policies such as working for families, interest free student loans, and cheaper doctor's fees, which she says has been made possible "because the Labour Government pays the difference".
She made no mention of any of the coalition partners as she claimed credit for Labour on the implementation of free off-peak public transport for SuperGold card holders and Kiwibank.
Eleven out of 21 market goers the Herald spoke to said they agreed with her, and indicated that they will be voting Labour, compared with seven who said they will vote National.
Market stall operator Raymond Ooi, 51, an immigrant from Malaysia, says he will be voting Labour because it "shows more concern for migrants" than other parties.
But Avondale truck driver Murray Berry says he will be voting National this election after having voted Labour in the past, because he says: "Labour's promises are just empty ones."
