Campaign day 8: Boxer Bill delivers blitzkrieg on Clark

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political editor

It's been some time coming, but Bill English yesterday revealed there is still fire in National's sagging belly.

He may be Bill the Boxer but the gloves are most definitely off.

In one of the best speeches a National Party conference has heard from a leader, he blitzkrieged the Prime Minister's integrity, accusing her of not disclosing everything to the police during their investigation into the fake art scandal.

It was high risk. Many voters see Helen Clark's putting her name to something she did not do as a trivial indiscretion carried out for the best of motives.

But National has to take risks. And Mr English knows he must confront Helen Clark on the quality for which she is held in high regard by voters - leadership.

Mr English's argument is that the painting is a small matter, but Helen Clark's behaviour after being caught out is a big problem which raises the question of whether the Prime Minister and her pocket-sized pledge card can be trusted.

Helen Clark's response was to try to stifle the attack on her credibility by calling in the defamation lawyers. But that will not silence Mr English during upcoming televised leaders' debates.

Yesterday's onslaught backed up his conference promise of a "new determination" in National as the party enters the second week of the election campaign marooned at around 25 per cent in the polls while Labour consistently tops 50 per cent.

Mr English may have got National back into the campaign, but National still has to get its back off the wall.

To that end, Mr English made a two-pronged plea to National supporters not to vote for Labour in order to keep the Greens out of government.

Voting Labour could see Labour gaining absolute power to carry out its "hidden" agenda. "You won't change Labour by voting for them."

Vote Labour and you might still get the Greens, he told them. "You will find Helen and Jeanette turn out to be very, very, very good friends," Mr English added, urging supporters to vote National to ensure a "strong" National Party.

He did not add the obvious corollary: "to ensure a strong Opposition". But that would be an admission of defeat and Mr English was in no mood for that yesterday.

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