KEY POINTS:
Helen Clark today turned her fire on National's refusal to reveal its major policies after the three latest polls showed Labour trailing badly.
The Prime Minister claimed the polls would not show the true level of Government support until the National Party had revealed its policies and said how it would pay for them.
National has said it will not unveil its central tax-cut policy until the election campaign likely to start in September or October.
Three polls in the past week, largely taken after the May 22 budget, showed support for Labour slipping.
A Herald Digipoll last week had Labour one point down on 36 per cent with National at 51 per cent.
Labour went down six points to 29 per cent in a TV One poll, while National gained a point to reach 55 per cent. A TV3 poll showed Labour down three points to 35 per cent, with National up two points to 50 per cent.
But this morning Helen Clark told TV One's Breakfast programme: "At some point National has to show and tell, We're still in the phoney war, they won't say what they'll do or how they'll fund it. That can't go on for ever."
National Party leader John Key derided Labour's Budget as being worth "two blocks of cheese" to families and said people would be better off under his party, but he refused to give any details.
Helen Clark said today democratic governments around the world were under pressure and struggling against international factors.
"Everyone is struggling with the cost of fuel, everyone is noticing the food price spike in certain items," she said.
"Everyone has got the fallout from the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States. And in New Zealand the drought has affected farming incomes."
Helen Clark said she accepted that the buck stopped with her.
"It's my responsibility to provide leadership through that."
- NZPA, NZ HERALD STAFF
