Campaign day 16: Clark's iron fist in a velvet glove

Political editor JOHN ARMSTRONG watched last night's debate without knowing how the viewer panel "worm" was moving.

The Prime Minister has got her campaign back on track. Gone was the aloof, superior figure of the TV3 debate two weeks ago who behaved as if the campaign was beneath her.

After last week's Muldoonist streaks, revealed in the aftermath of Paintergate and the GM corn row, Helen Clark deliberately displayed a softer, more relaxed face. The iron fist was kept well inside the velvet glove. For that reason, she was the winner in last night's debate.

The next best, in order, were Winston Peters, Peter Dunne, Laila Harre and Bill English. They were followed by Richard Prebble and Jim Anderton. The prize for the worst performance goes to Jeanette Fitzsimons, who was largely forgettable except for her poor handling of a question on marijuana law reform. You could sense the worm plunging into the negative.

Anderton continues his disappointing performance in this campaign. His introduction was dull. He lectured the 200-strong studio audience and viewers, donning the garb of "I know best" that Clark had been so careful to shed. Where is the passion that has made him such a conviction politician?

Prebble made a wooden start and took an awful long time to come to life. But he finished strongly and was one of the few, alongside Harre, to talk about his vision for New Zealand.

Peters is the master of this format, completely comfortable and trying to rule the roost.

He had an easy run with questions on immigration, crime and the Treaty of Waitangi. Peters was not really challenged except by Clark, who turned the tricky issue of immigration into a question of where New Zealand would get skilled labour to power the economy.

English struggled to overcome the label of bystander, given National's parlous poll rating. Asked when National would be relevant to the campaign, he replied that the party "will be" relevant, not "is" relevant. That said it all.

The real winner may have been Dunne, getting priceless exposure with a calm and reasoned argument. He appeared to be setting himself up as a coalition partner for Labour. Clark twice backed him up in the debate. He may be just the man she needs after July 27.

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