KEY POINTS:
2.30pm: Bank proposal puts taxpayer at risk - Greens
The Green Party say they are uncomfortable with John Key's recommendation for the bank guarantee scheme to include wholesale loans as well as depositors' funds.
Under a wholesale scheme, the government would guarantee money loaned to New Zealand banks by foreign banks, a scheme being established in Australia.
"He's (Mr Key's) talking about guaranteeing the international transfers between banks which is a huge New Zealand taxpayer liability to go to the foreign shareholders of those banks," said co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.
The Greens want to be included in any round-table discussions about the current financial crisis, and added that this was a good time to look at chief executives' salaries.
"If the taxpayer is underwriting your organisation is it right that the chief executive gets $2.5 million a year?", asked co-leader Russel Norman.
1.55pm: Aged care sector welcomes $23 million injection
HealthCare Providers New Zealand say in a statement that they welcome today's $18 million commitment by the National Party to support and retain aged-care nurses and thes $5 million commitment to increase respite care.
National's health spokesman Tony Ryall made the announcement.
"This policy will allow policy makers a window of opportunity to plan how we as a nation can avoid a pending crisis in care for our elderly", said HealthCare Providers chief executive Martin Taylor.
"The $18 million per year funding promise is something we has been calling for, to help stave off the impact of a 12 per cent increase in government nurses wages over the next three years.
"The demand for elderly services is rapidly growing as our nation ages."
1.00pm: Be careful what you wish for, warns Key
By Claire Trevett. National leader John Key makes this response to Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons' earlier statement about post-election allegiances:
"The Greens in government meant environmental policies over economic.
"They are making it clear they will enter Government on their terms. Helen Clark needs the Greens and she will do whatever it takes to get a fourth term.
"I would say to New Zealanders to be very cautious of that arrangement because that means Helen Clark is going to be prepared to sell your jobs down the river and economic growth is going to go on the backburner."
12.35pm: Let's see how it all adds up - English
National Party Finance spokesman Bill English says Helen Clark must tell New Zealanders how the spending promises she's made so far will affect the country's deficits and debt track.
"Labour's known about the grim state of the books much longer than National has.
"Helen Clark needs to tell us how she's going to pay for the uncosted promises she has already made.
"Last week's pledge to maintain the floor of super at 66 per cent of the average after-tax wage was not calculated in the Treasury forecasts.
"Also missing was the billion-dollar insulation fund, the ETS compensation payment to households, the student allowance announcement, increasing the weekly earnings threshold for beneficiaries, the introduction of a new retraining allowance, and the purchase of St James station."
12.15pm: Nats out, Labour 'conditional' - Greens
At a press conference, Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says National is 'out' as a potential post-election partner, and even Labour is 'not a certainty' in that role.
She said support for Labour would be "conditional on key concessions in post-election talks".
Asserting that National were taking the country in the wrong direction, Fitzsimons also gave Labour a mixed report card, but said support for a Labour-led government was still possible.
11.55am: For whom the road tolls
National Party transport spokesman Maurice Williamson says on Radio Live that motorists could face tolls of $3 on roads built under a National government.
In August, Williamson got into trouble for saying people would be happy to pay $5 each way on a toll road - which equated to $50 a working week. National's leader, John Key, described the MP as "excitable" and said tolls were more likely to be around $2.
"Of course the answer to that is it depends on which road," Williamson said today.
"If it is quite a short distance road of a few kilometres, somewhere in the city-type link, you'd only be talking of $1 or $2. If it's a very long haul road you may be talking of $3.
10.50am: Key promises more cops on the beat
John Key tells a press conference this morning that under National another 300 police would be recruited by the end of 2011 and would be sent to frontline roles in the Counties Manukau region.
Of the 600 police to be recruited in total, 220 would be over and above the current Government's planned recruitment programme.
Key said only 21 per cent of the 1000 new sworn officers recruited under the Labour Government had been posted to general frontline duties.
9.48am: PM emphasises leadership
Prime Minister Helen Clark, speaking on interviews on TV One's Breakfast and on Newstalk ZB this morning, says leadership is becoming more important in the face of the international financial crisis.
"I think the challenging times have actually turned this whole election campaign on its head."
She repeated her recent line that the "soft mood" for change had started to dissipate.
"I think the gap between Labour and National is probably more in the order of around 6 per cent. It is clear the centre left voters if you take Labour and Greens together is pretty much level pegging with National and ACT.
"This is a very very close election campaign."
8.34am: Not a lot in kitty - Key
National leader John Key does not rule out more spending promises before the election.
He tells Radio New Zealand that National had made hard choices when it reduced KiwiSaver, cut the research and development tax credit and extra spending which was to go to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
"We have some room to move now, it's very limited."
Yesterday, Prime Minister Helen Clark ruled out expensive election promises in the face of the international finance crisis.
An expected announcement of a big extension to paid parental leave was one of the casualties.
Finance Minister Michael Cullen said Labour would not be making "big promises".
- NZHERALD STAFF, with NZPA and NEWSTALK ZB
