Campaign Day 2: Blame Blair for the battle of the cards

By JOHN ARMSTRONG

A good idea goes a long way in politics - halfway around the world, in fact.

Helen Clark is brandishing a shiny new commitment card; Winston Peters is countering with "Labour's debit card"; Act has its own "credit card" to be unveiled today.

Blame Tony Blair for this burgeoning battle of the cards.

The British Labour leader came up with the pocket-sized commitment card as a potent way of proving to voters that a Government can "keep its word" by listing a modest set of promises which it then delivers on.

New Zealand Labour filched the idea at the 1999 election.

Mr Blair renewed his card at last year's British elections.

New Zealand Labour is doing the same this year as it continues to unashamedly borrow from the successful Blair re-election strategy.

Just as Mr Blair last year thanked voters for "helping us build the foundations", so Helen Clark talked on Sunday of "building on the foundations we've laid".

On his card, Mr Blair pledged 10,000 extra teachers; Helen Clark is promising another 3000. And so on.

(Mr Blair also promised a winter fuel rebate for pensioners - but that idea has been snapped up by Jim Anderton's Progressive Coalition.)

Mr Peters has now set out to sully Labour's cosy contract with voters by issuing what he calls Labour's debit card - "the promises they're not telling you about".

The NZ First leader says Labour's hidden agenda includes legalising prostitution, decriminalising marijuana, legislating for gay marriages and adoptions, further raising taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and petrol, bringing in 53,000 immigrants a year and promoting a separate voting system for local government based on race.

As Helen Clark noted, this list includes a whole lot of things that Mr Peters knows are always conscience votes in Parliament.

But Mr Peters can spot Labour's soft underbelly - its political correctness. The Prime Minister claims he's not getting any traction. That remains to be seen.

However, like a shark, he is back in his element - the hunter, not the hunted.

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