KEY POINTS:
National leader John Key will today stake out his vision for New Zealand and signal trade-offs his party might make to introduce personal tax cuts.
Key was keeping his powder dry at National's annual conference in Auckland yesterday, the first since he was elected party leader. But he said the expansion of Working for Families - which Labour used as an election carrot in 2005 - was one area National had been studying.
Delegates want the leader to spell out more of the "100 days agenda" that a Key cabinet would implement if National became government.
Key is also under media pressure to flesh out National's positions after a stoush with the New Zealand Herald over his confused position on a proposed transtasman therapeutics agency brought his honeymoon to an end.
National has so far refused to back planned legislation on the therapeutics agency, claiming Labour is yet to present it with a clear proposal.
But the proposal is dear to the Australian Cabinet's heart. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer - who spoke to the conference last night in his capacity as a Liberal Party member - said the door was still open for an accommodation between the two countries. He refused to be drawn into the domestic dispute.
Key and his deputy Bill English used the conference to put on a display of mateship and mutual back-slapping. Key had told English he needed a haircut - and English told him "Mate you don't need a haircut, you need a hair transplant". When Key arrived at the conference, English said: "You didn't take my advice and get a transplant". Key replied: "That's why I'm doing so well."
The delegates lapped up the easy repartee as proof their boys would rise above their rivalry to put the push for an election win centre-stage next year.
But whoever chose God Defend New Zealand as the music when Key paraded his 10-strong front-bench centre-stage should be sacked.
Key signalled a much tougher stance from National on accountability from child abusers. Other spokesmen promised crackdowns on gangs; dealing to interest rates by attacking Government spending and productivity; and tackling climate change by making agriculture part of the equation but keeping an open mind on timing.
National made a definitive statement in saying it would not support proposals to change the tax rules for residential housing investment.
"Our view is all the proposals for tax changes have been a distraction from the core issue because supply is limited, the cost of land has gone up and building prices have gone up," said English. "This is an important signal to the housing market particularly in Auckland."
English said the party had studied house price inflation around the world and tax was not a factor.
