The Front Bench team, from left: Barry Soper, Heather du Plessis-Allan, Trish Sherson and Chris Carter. Photo / Greg Bowker
The Front Bench team, from left: Barry Soper, Heather du Plessis-Allan, Trish Sherson and Chris Carter. Photo / Greg Bowker
Every Monday until the election The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper, former Act Party press secretary Trish Sherson and former Labour Party minister Chris Carter have the inside word and analysis.
National's campaigning hard against the possibility of a wealth tax under a Labour / Green government. Labour continues to say it's not going to happen, but James Shaw wants to wait until after the election.
So who should voters believe? Is someone spreading misinformation?
Meanwhile National's position is dire - it's not climbing in the polls, in the last Colmar Brunton the party actually dropped ... then there was the Ponsonby walkabout, the Denise Lee email complaining about Judith Collins that was leaked, to name just a few.
Is Judith Collins being thrown under the bus by her own party?
The real loser at this election could be MMP. With NZ First looking like it won't make a comeback, and the Greens on 6 per cent, Act looks like the only minor party that will comfortably make it back to Parliament.
But even David Seymour has foreshadowed his own party's demise in a recent interview with Mike Hosking, saying in four to five elections we'll be back to two major parties in Parliament.
The Front Bench team, from left: Barry Soper, Heather du Plessis-Allan, Trish Sherson and Chris Carter. Photo / Greg Bowker
This throws up the question: does the threshold to make it into Parliament need to be lowered?
It's looking more likely by the day that Labour is going to win a second term, but NZ First won't be back in Parliament. This throws up the question of Winston Peters' successor. Who would be the deputy prime minister in a new Labour-led government? Kelvin Davis? Grant Robertson? James Shaw?
There is a competition for some of the Māori seats - including Tāmaki Makaurau, where John Tamihere is within striking distance of Peeni Henare. The Curia poll at the weekend had the Māori Party's Tamihere on 29 per cent, with Labour's Henare on 35 per cent.
How would the dynamic change if the Māori Party does manage to get back into Parliament?
In the matter of the NZ First Foundation, two people have been charged, but their names remain suppressed.
The judge said on Friday suppression would continue because of the proximity to the election, and it could unsettle people who have already voted.
Media companies fighting the name suppression say voters should be able to know who these people are before they go to the polls. Should the courts release the names?
And with five days to go until election day, our Front Bench will make their predictions for the election result.
