Campaign diary: Monster is green with a small 'g'

Monster-dodger

Faced with a man dressed in a green monster suit (and looking suspiciously genetically modified) Helen Clark must have thought her day in Christchurch was going to be dogged by that GM issue. But the Lincoln University student inside the suit was actually protesting about the "debt monster" that is student loans. He followed her all day, politely making his protest at every venue, and was even rewarded with a hands-clenched-into-claws snarl from the Prime Minister at one point. But campaign organisers were taking no risks at her rally, where the monster and his minder, Lincoln students' association president Greg Henderson, were asked to stay outside as the 230 party faithful listened to the PM.

Bursting her bubble

At her Christchurch rally, Clark was in full flight on Labour's record of increasing police numbers when one of the red balloons on the speaking podium exploded. Recovering quickly, Clark said: "My goodness. It's not an assassination. This is not America. No reaction. Nerves of steel. I saw the police jump, though." Luckily the diplomatic protection squad took it all in their stride. As part of her crime spiel Clark thanked Stephen Tindall of The Warehouse for his help with a young offenders programme. Ironically, one of the event's organisers was heard to blame "those Warehouse balloons" for the surprise bang.

What the polls say

A TV3/NFO opinion poll has found Labour with 48 per cent support, down three from a survey of a fortnight ago. The poll, done from July 4-9, showed National on the same rating of 24 per cent. New Zealand First climbed 2.3 per cent to eight points, and was joined by the Greens, dipping three from 11. Act climbed one point to six, the Alliance scored 1.2 per cent, Progressive Coalition 0.8 and United Future picked up 0.9. In the preferred Prime Minister stakes, Helen Clark won 44 per cent support - up two points. Bill English picked up one point to score 12, Winston Peters stayed on eight and Jim Anderton fell one point to two. Jenny Shipley, Richard Prebble, Phil Goff and Jeanette Fitzsimons tallied 1 per cent.

Where the leaders are:

* Helen Clark visits the Heinz Wattie's factory in Hastings before travelling to Napier and Auckland.

* National's Bill English visits Palmerston North and Wanganui.

* New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is in New Plymouth.

* Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons heads to Dunedin while colleague Rod Donald campaigns in New Plymouth.

* Act's Richard Prebble visits Christchurch.

* Progressive Coalition leader Jim Anderton is in Westport and Wellington.

* The Alliance's Laila Harre spends time in Dunedin and West Auckland.

* United Future leader Peter Dunne attends a conference in New Plymouth.

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