Graham Reid's campaign: Politicians told to get real and deal with the issues

Around 200 angry protesters gathered in a Mt Eden park yesterday to demand politicians concentrate on the real issues in the two weeks before the election rather than stoop to personal attacks.

Quite what are the "real issues" was difficult to determine however. A number of people said health, genetic modification or education but couldn't be any more specific.

"Well education, it's about teachers and so on I suppose," said Betsy Maidment. "It certainly isn't Helen Clark signing someone else's name on a credit card transaction or Bill English in a boxing ring, although if he'd kept his left higher he might have acquitted himself better, but ... What was the question again?"

Another protester, Dave Pipette of 27 Glenelg Park Rd in Milford, who preferred not to be named, said "immigration is a big issue".

"You know, whether we're taking too many people or too few. I don't know the answer but it won't stop me asking the question. And I'll certainly be voting for the party that appeals to my base prejudices."

Tom "Buster" Bubbage from Tauranga, age 97, said people in his area were extremely concerned about Auckland's traffic congestion, even though none of his friends had ever been to the city.

"And have no bloody desire to either mate," he added. "But that's the kind of caring people we are down Winston's way. We care deeply about Auckland, and the number of migrants clogging the motorways. We wouldn't put up with it in Tauranga. You've got to kick 'em hard to knock any sense into 'em."

It was unclear whether he was talking about migrants or dogs fouling footpaths, which he said was also an important issue.

A small but volatile group cited white-collar crime, blue-collar crime, and that crime where people change their clothes straight after so it's hard to tell exactly what sort of crime it was.

"And you can't slap people on the wrist with a wet bus ticket either," said a middle-aged man on medication. "In my day the cops would give you a clip around the ear, so I reckon slapping someone with a wet bus ticket should still be allowed. Otherwise we look like we're going soft on this criminal element and their appalling taste in music."

A spokeswoman for National wearing an orange suit and a worried expression said National would concentrate on the issues rather than engaging in personal attacks then lashed out at the protesters calling them "a rag tag mob of radicals and probably unwashed as well".

Helen Clark said she couldn't be bothered commenting but in a media release later - which came with the instruction it be immediately destroyed - said Labour fully intended to keep talking about the real issues, "but I'll decide what they are and what you should think about them".

Richard Prebble said he would continue to discuss anything he damn well pleased. Real, unreal or surreal.

Other parties said they were unsure what the real issues were but knew what issues they had formulated policy about, which might not be the same thing.

According to protest spokesperson Ambler Vent the real issue at this election is accountability. "Or was that last election? Well anyway, it's got to be about the important things, and I think we all know what they are and will vote accordingly. Or fail to do so."

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