Campaign diary: Avoiding the bare essentials

Calendar boy

New Plymouth boat-building boss Peter White-Robinson took Bill English into an office to show him a drawing of a Dubois 122. "Thought it would be better than showing you a pin-up girl," he said in reference to Helen Clark's close encounter with a girly calendar at a Blenheim engineering works. "I see you've been keeping abreast of the campaign," English quipped.

A distinguishing record

A new independent candidate with an impressive CV has emerged in the northern Maori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau. Mike Smith's three-page press release outlines a fine record of working for Maori communities for the past 20 years. It omits to point out his other record - six months' periodic detention for taking to the pine on One Tree Hill with a chainsaw.

Flaming awful campaign start

One of National's new stars, Wellington Central candidate Hekia Parata, had a traumatic start to the election campaign. The night she arrived back from the campaign launch in Auckland, where Bill English had arguably set the campaign alight, her front porch went up in flames from smouldering wood-burner ashes. She and the family had to seek refuge in the James Cook Hotel for a week while repairs were undertaken.

No reality, please

National Party delegates tut-tutted their disapproval at losing talk by southern regional chairperson Ailsa Smaill as she introduced her region's candidates to the party's annual conference yesterday. Eric Roy, she said, was not likely to win Invercargill this time. Never mind that Labour's Mark Peck holds it by 8000 votes.

Turning the other cheek

National's disappointed and lowest list-ranked MP, Annabel Young, was having no kissy warm fuzzies when lower North Island divisional chairman Chris Finlayson introduced her and other candidates onto the conference stage. Mr Finlayson went to kiss her on the cheek. But they had barely shaken hands when Ms Young turned abruptly, leaving him planting one in mid-air.

Where the leaders are today:

* Helen Clark is in Horowhenua and Upper Hutt.

* Bill English is in Otago and Southland.

* Richard Prebble launches Act's health policy in Wellington.

* Rod Donald is holding a public meeting in Rotorua (Heitiki Gallery, Whakarewarewa).

* Laila Harre launches Government pay equity paper in Wellington.

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