KEY POINTS:
1.15pm: Key warns of 5 horsemen of the Apocalypse
National leader John Key has warned New Zealanders against a "five-headed monster" of a Labour-led government.
Speaking to reporters in Greymouth this morning, Mr Key said voters should be wary of a coalition government that could include Labour, the Progressives, the Greens, New Zealand First and the Maori Party.
12.50pm: Greens go rural
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons has launched her party's agricultural policy this afternoon, at the Hastings A&P Show.
Fitzsimons outlined a package of support for the organics sector, aiming for 15 per cent of production to be organic or in transition by 2015. An essential part of the organics strategy is keeping New Zealand farming GE free.
"It's vital we retain and build on our international reputation as a clean green country as this underpins our export industry. Making common-sense changes towards sustainable farming techniques is a pivotal investment in New Zealand", she said.
12.30pm: The play's the thing
ACT made a dramatic point about its opposition to the Government's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) today.
It put on a piece of street theatre at Auckland's Cornwall Park where a "farmer" was whipped by a "witch".
The farmer was hauling a trailer carrying an oversized $5 billion cheque made out to Russia on behalf of the New Zealand taxpayer.
Confused?
Well, by way of explanation, ACT leader Rodney Hide argues that under the Kyoto Protocol New Zealand money would go to countries such as Russia, which have large forests.
I knew that.
11.59am: Grey Power steamed up about health
Grey Power health spokesman Dick Stark has released a statement saying the pressure group for older people will be interested in how the next government addresses care issues in health and home energy efficiency.
Writing about the DHB model, Stark said: "At the moment there is too much bureaucratic kingdom building, too much fragmentation, too many administrators, and too much duplication, so it is time that some basic management disciplines were introduced."
11.32am: All above (bill)board?
The Electoral Commission has cleared a Tui billboard on Winston Peters which reads: "When Winston says no, he means no - yeah right". Blogger David Farrar had complained that the billboard constituted an election advertisement.
10.54am: Hide as dogged as ever
ACT leader Rodney Hide, who attacked NZ First over its failure to declare cash and donations, and laid a police complaint relating to the 2007 return, said he still believes NZ First broke the law. He said the party was legally required to declare the donations and he thought Mrs Martin was kept in the dark about the trust donations.
"Mr Peters never told the secretary or the party about the Spencer Trust," he told Radio New Zealand this morning.
But Mr Peters said Mrs Martin was fully aware of the $80,000 donation.
"Yes she was aware of it, she went with the auditor to the Electoral Commission ... trying to sort out whether it should or should not be declared," he told RNZ.
9.07am: Polls apart
A Herald-DigiPoll poll out today has National in a position to govern alone, should the election result reflect its findings. The poll put National party vote support at 50.4 per cent of decided voters, which would be enough to win 63 seats on election day.
By contrast, last night's TV3 poll put Labour and allies the Greens in a position where they would together hold 59 seats in a 123-member Parliament. Under the TV3 poll, National and its right-wing ally ACT would also have 59 seats, or 60 if United Future leader Peter Dunne joined them.
- NZHERALD STAFF, with NZPA and NEWSTALK ZB
