Brash the patriot proclaims fervent nationalism

Don Brash has highlighted the attractions of moving to Australia. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Stung by accusations that he is unpatriotic, National's leader Don Brash yesterday labelled himself a "fervent nationalist" and said he would persist in highlighting the growing gap between New Zealand and Australia.

Dr Brash delivered his personally written speech on the same day that a new poll showed that 17 per cent of New Zealanders are more likely to shift across the Tasman after the Australian Government's tax cuts.

Speaking to the Auckland Rotary Club, Dr Brash rejected suggestions that his recent politics had been disloyal to New Zealand, and added that he did not enjoy being labelled a racist.

"Warning fellow Kiwis that we'll be in serious trouble if we continue down the path we're being led by this Labour Government doesn't make me unpatriotic," Dr Brash said.

"Warning fellow Kiwis that unless we change direction, our grandchildren will grow up cheering for the Wallabies doesn't make me unpatriotic either."

National has repeatedly highlighted the attractions of moving to Australia since that country announced A$37 billion ($44 billion) worth of tax cuts this month.

Labour did not deliver tax cuts in its Budget, leading Dr Brash to coin it the "Bondi Budget", saying more locals would be lured across the Tasman.

But his efforts have threatened to backfire at times as Labour has adopted a strategy of calling Dr Brash unpatriotic. In response, Dr Brash yesterday dredged up images of local luminaries such as Kate Sheppard, Sir Edmund Hillary and Ernest Rutherford, and described himself as a "passionately committed" New Zealander. He also persisted in pushing the view that Australia was fit to raid New Zealand's best and brightest, while highlighting this country's "slow but steady drift towards racial separatism".

Prime Minister Helen Clark dismissed Dr Brash's speech.

"I'm simply interested he felt he had to make the speech - he's very much on the record as basically praising other places as places to live rather than our own country and I don't think that goes down too well," she said.

But as Labour attacks Dr Brash and attempts to destabilise his leadership, it is clearly struggling to sell its Budget to voters.

A One News/Colmar Brunton poll last night showed just 10 per cent of respondents were positive about Finance Minister Michael Cullen's seventh Budget.

About 23 per cent were negative about it, while the rest were largely neutral. As many as 63 per cent believed the Government could afford to make tax cuts, and Labour's own voters were evenly split on the issue.

When it came to voters' preferred priorities for the Government's operating surplus, health clearly topped the list with 49 per cent support while tax cuts came second at 25 per cent - well ahead of Working for Families, roading and removing interest on student loans.