Clark says campaign will test opponents' credibility

Helen Clark

The Prime Minister is taking aim at National's yet-to-be-released tax policy as she looks to turn round grim polling figures for Labour.

Two more polls over the weekend showed National maintaining its lead over the Labour-led Government.

Helen Clark said yesterday that she was not worried.

"I remain very optimistic about the election," she told TV One's Breakfast show.

"We're going to come to the point where this election will be a test to the National Party's credibility. Because if you are going to give every New Zealander a tax cut it has to come from somewhere - most likely sources are to cut health and education spending and to borrow."

Helen Clark said things could change closer to the election - the date of which she is yet to announce.

"We're in the pre-campaign mode phase. I'm out doing a lot of meetings with a wide range of voters and the feedback is generally very good.

"I look at those results and we're averaging what we won with in 1999. That's a good platform to go into the campaign with," she said.

A One News/Colmar-Brunton poll on Sunday showed National on 42 per cent support - down one point from the same poll last month. Labour was on 39 per cent, down two points.

A Fairfax New Zealand/ACNielsen poll on Saturday put National on 42 per cent support and Labour on 37 per cent.

- NZPA