KEY POINTS:
Helen Clark says National's lead in the polls will start to slip when the election campaign starts and she isn't even thinking about handing the leadership to someone else.
The Prime Minister was asked on Newstalk ZB this morning whether she would consider stepping aside to give Labour "a new face" before the election if the polls don't change.
The last four have shown National's support at more than 50 per cent, and its lead over Labour at more than 20 points.
"That's a question I'm not even prepared to contemplate," she said when she was asked about the leadership.
"I believe that in the home straight before the election itself the polls will begin to narrow."
Helen Clark said voters knew little about the National Party in terms of personnel and policy.
"I just say 'have a little patience'. As the policy is crowbarred out of the National Party we will start to see all the things that led people to vote Labour in nine years ago," she said.
Helen Clark said National sometimes let policies "slip out" and it seemed to happen when deputy leader Bill English was on television.
"Last year it was privatisation, this year it's the right to fire policy," she said.
- NZPA
