KEY POINTS:
Helen Clark's log: 15-10-2008
It was back to Auckland yesterday ahead of last night's leaders' debate. An early Herald deadline meant this diary item had to be filed before the televised debate.
I headed into the city yesterday morning to unveil Labour's new billboard on the corner
of Upper Queen St and Ian McKinnon Drive.
Keep an eye out for these billboards, which are now up around the Auckland region and around the country. They focus on a very simple message - that only Labour can be trusted to "Keep it Kiwi". Labour believes there are many things which must be kept Kiwi, including Kiwibank, KiwiSaver and KiwiRail.
The unexpected bonus for the day was finding Maggie Mowbray's The Little Cake Kitchen directly across the road from the billboard I unveiled. Staff came out to say hello and I ended up with a beautiful brioche and a fantastic espresso coffee made by their tattooed Brazilian barista Pablo "Gorgeous", as he's known by his regular customers.
They also gave me an impromptu tour of the kitchen, where staff work through the night to make the sweet treats that tempt many Auckland city workers. The nostalgic bonus of the day was talking to baker Pearly Yew, who proudly re-told the story of our paths crossing many years earlier. I had watched her children (and others) compete in the Pt Chevalier Athletics Cup nearly 30 years ago - an event we both still remember. Thanks to Maggie and her staff for the warm reception, and even warmer coffee.
What to watch out for today: Labour's housing announcement.
Helen Clark
John Key's log: 15-10-2008
On the campaign trail in Auckland yesterdayI revealed the measures National will take to provide a better standard of care to pregnant women, new mothers and their babies.
I believe Labour hasn't done a good job over the past nine years with maternity care, which is in something of a crisis.
I want to see better maternity services that give safe and high-quality care to pregnant women, young mothers, and their babies.
We not only have to make the most ofexisting resources, but we also have toinvest more, which is what our policy proposes.
One of the most important things we can do is provide more funding so mothers are not forced to go home a few hours after birth.
This is a particularly important time for mothers, their newborn children, and their families, and new mothers shouldn't have to feel forced into going home before they are ready.
We will also ensure every new mother and baby will have weekly contact with a health professional for the first nine weeks after birth.
Something I was proud to announce yesterday was our commitment to reversing Labour's cancelled funding of PlunketLine.
This means that parents will now have access to a 24-hour Plunket service.
We've also recognised the workforce crisis in midwifery with our plan to offer a voluntary bonding scheme. This will mean new midwives who work in hard-to-staff areas for three to five years after graduation get student loan writeoffs.
We believe this will help improve the dire staffing situation in some areas.
John Key