KEY POINTS:
Helen Clark will take to the streets of heartland Mangere this morning in a bid to whip up some good publicity for Government policies that take effect this weekend.
The measures are significant both in effect and cost.
The increase in superannuation - a condition of New Zealand First's confidence and money supply agreement - will cost $296 million over the next year.
The boost in child payments under Working for Families, Labour's response to National's tax-cut promises, will cost $330 million next year and take the total cost of Working for Families to $1.6 billion by next March.
It is no wonder the Prime Minister wants to wring every ounce of capital she can from the policies. The news has not been good for a while, and an impression is taking root that the Government has run out of puff.
The recent diet of unwanted publicity has included:
* Labour's denial over election spending wrong-doing.
* The furore over a waterfront stadium.
* The tragedies and corruption associated with the Corrections Department.
* The blow to the public's confidence in the police.
* Fears over the management of health in Auckland.
* The anti-smacking bill.
The obvious antidote is for the Government to be setting its own agenda with promising new plans and policies. But the make-up of the present Parliament makes that much more difficult than its reforming first term, when it had the Alliance and the Greens.
The only thing the Government can be confident of winning now is a confidence vote.
So how is Labour doing, according to both friends and enemies?
Former Act leader Richard Prebble rates the Government 3 out of 10. His basis for the low rating is primarily last year's productivity increase, 0.4 per cent, which was the lowest on record.
That figure contrasted with Labour's stated intention in 2005 of making productivity growth a priority. "By Labour's own goals they are a complete failure - unbelievably bad," Prebble said.
That figure showed Labour's economic policies were not working.
As professional political managers, the Government was "as good as any I have ever seen".
But it made mistakes, and he rated its position supporting Sue Bradford's anti-smacking bill as a big one.
Prebble had believed that running a minority government would be difficult.
"But I've got to hand it to the Government. They give the impression that they have got more control than they really have."
Former Alliance president Matt McCarten said Labour had become a Government of management rather than leaders.
"Labour is more managing things than having a vision or leading it. They are essentially in a holding pattern."
Credit for advances in the minimum wage and four weeks' holiday had to go to New Zealand First and the Greens. And the Greens had advanced climate change policy.
He rated Labour 7 out of 10 ("six really, but I didn't want to be ungracious").
Government Goodies
Starting tomorrow:
* A fourth week of annual leave.
* Increase in the minimum wage.
* Boost of $10 a week per child under family tax credits.
* A 9.8 per cent increase in the minimum wage, from $10.25 to $11.25 an hour.
* Boost to NZ Super of $20 a week for a couple ($10 each a week) or $13 a week for singles.
