Fran O'Sullivan: Games they play in guise of patriotism

The patriot game is now being played in deadly earnest in Prime Minister Helen Clark's Helengrad.

Hideaway Helen launched the game by attacking Digger Don, accusing him of running down his country because he dares to point out the obvious - that unless there is concerted Government action the drift of Kiwis to Australia will turn into a torrent.

Clark's retort was: Why don't you cross the ditch, Don, yourself, if you think it's so good on the other side.

Just like some of her more ignoble predecessors, Clark is resorting to the tired tactics of demonising her opponents as "unpatriotic" when they tell the truth about New Zealand's declining international competitiveness.

The PM is a past master at defining the terms of the game. But this present stance is most unbecoming for a woman of her obvious talents.

It's all horribly reminiscent of the dying years of Sir Robert Muldoon's reign when a politician whose utility as Prime Minister was basically exhausted resorted to personal attacks rather than debating the substance of critical issues, such as New Zealand's competitiveness against Australia.

But instead of attacking Clark as Muldoonist, the National leader was forced on to the defensive by Clark's rhetoric and merciless lampooning.

Brash went public with a sterling defence of his proud nationalism: "Warning fellow Kiwis we'll be in serious trouble if we continue down the path we're being led by this Labour Government doesn't strike me as unpatriotic."

There was more, showing that Brash is at least - finally - prepared to engage Clark on her ground.

But he hasn't made sufficient of a fist of it yet to overtake Clark as preferred prime minister in the popularity stakes.

Clark's Government has slipped in its popularity - but she still rides supreme.

This is a dangerous time in national politics.

Clark has made no secret of her ambitions for a fourth term as Prime Minister and is endeavouring to shift the language of debate to present Labour as the natural party of Government.

But there is a Fortress NZ tinge to Labour's strategising which basically seeks to ostracise its opponents as "enemies of the people" rather than unite all New Zealanders by promoting a captivating national vision and strategy.

It was abundantly obvious this week when even Finance Minister Michael Cullen - a politician of rare wit and usually equable temperament - accused four press gallery journalists of undermining his Budget, basically by promoting tax cuts to line their own pockets.

Given that the Gang of Four - Vernon Small, the two Espiner brothers and Tracy Watkins - were not even among the usual journalist suspects who promote tax cuts to spur economic growth, Cullen's outburst was outrageous.

But, like Clark, he was attacking the messenger rather than examining whether a new policy response was warranted.

We've been here before - we don't need to be there again. Like Muldoon - who collected a swag of ministerial casualties and scandalous baggage as his own permanent reign moved on - Clark's Government is now almost irretrievably tarnished.

There's been mini-scandal after mini-scandal which have affected the reputations of her ministers.

Until this week it appeared the Clark Government would continue to enjoy Teflon status.

But the polls are rapidly shifting in National's favour as the party opens a nine-point lead.

Now Taito Phillip Field - stood down from the Cabinet during a QC's probe into claimed conflicts of interest during his time as a minister - is basically holding a shotgun to the Government's head by intimating he might jump ship if the ultimate published report is a damning one.

If Clark allows Field to play hardball she will have crossed an ethical line from where there should be no real recovery.

The debate should not be about whether Field should force a byelection, but whether the Government is so bankrupt in purpose that a full-scale general election should be held.

It's barely more than six months since the September election where Labour took power after clearly breaching electoral spending limits.

The police would not act. The person who should, the Governor-General, is off to be a judge again.

In all, it's a deplorable state of affairs which is not helped by incessant mud-slinging.

Unless we get back to a debate on this country' s prospects which engages at a more adult level, New Zealand risks a rerun of the last days of the Muldoon regime.

The ultimate revolution will be just as breathtaking.