KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Bill
Labour do all the hard work. National slides back in and unwinds policies to win votes. National have never done anything to expand or create a prosperous country. All they do is slash and burn, and usually cut taxes, and alienate different races by xenophobia and curb migration. You watch as inflation skyrockets under National when they get elected. The economy is now running at full steam, anything like a tax cut will lead toe full blown inflation. We need to be attracting rich migrants to start a new business, cut red tape (bureaucracy) for a business and create tax incentives (film industry) for a business to grow. Government funding and seeding, R & D Reseach and Development. Spending money on infrastructure like broadband, ports, roads etc. The current bottleneck is power consumption, which is in a shambles which needs fixing fast.
Irene
Of course I would vote for National. The 20 hours free childcare, is a big joke. I am a working mother and all the decent pre-schools will never take such option (the government is not paying enough). I don't get any money from the IRD. Any other family whose mother is not working is much better-off than our family.
Go National.
Hiramai Rogers
As you can see, any election held now would have voters making their decision solely on which of Labour or National is the lesser of two, I wouldn't say evils, but necessary evils is more apt. It is for this reason that I am leaving New Zealand it is getting too hard to watch Central, and Local, Government systematically ruin this beautiful country, and its people, and I cant watch it go on any longer. Maybe, one day, I will be back and a sense of reality has dawned on New Zealand and we've all realised what we have become, which, in 2007, is so very far removed from who we were.
Pete Brown
I'll be voting for National next year without a second thought. I am sick to death (and I'm not in a minority) with this sorry excuse of a goverment. Consign Maharey, Mallard, Cullen and Madam Helen to the dustbin of history we need positive bright leadership not the interfering nanny state nonsense we've been dished up with for the past eight years.
Matt
I think the polls are now solidly and consistently reflecting Labour's imminent political demise and rightly so. It has presided over what must have been the best years in NZ's economic history (all possible because of the much derided restructuring in the 80s and 90s) yet have completely squandered that opportunity with us actually falling further down the OECD rankings and losing over 600 of our most talented and hard-working every week across the Tasman. As someone who spends half of my life in Australia and half here I can honestly say that my enthusiasm for coming back here diminishes by the month. Apart from her stand on Mugabe and Iraq I think Helen Clarke's leadership has been an unmitigated disaster for NZ and National will certainly be getting my vote. Quite what planet your correspondent "Steph" is on I don't know. I certainly haven't observed anything racist, homophobic or bigoted about the National Party under John Key's stewardship. As an urban liberal who has even been known to vote Green in the past I am perfectly happy with his position on all social and environmental matters.
Richard Taurima
Labour are becoming like a Communist regime, were the dictate on what we have to do? Not good.
Darryl
I'm trying to get ahead working for myself and have been bled dry for the last four years by tax with absolutely no help coming back to me from any government agency. My company has nearly fallen over twice. I have a huge overdraft just to keep my cash flow going and work on average 60-70 hours a week. And at the same time government bureaucracy has exploded with nearly 1 in 5 New Zealanders working for a council or government body all paid for by the taxes of the few of us left who actually do something! And to top it off most of these government employees are making more money than me! Is it any wonder that house prices in Wellington are going through the roof with the salaries these guys are pulling while I'm still stuck in a flat.
Jonathan Fraser
It seems that some people just hate politicians full stop, regardless of what they do. This is an unfortunate thing, and says more about those people than the politicians. Tax, rates, and levies are a fact of life. Any party or group that claims to cut them is eroding the tax base and the financial base of the New Zealand economy. There will never, ever be a flat PAYE tax rate, or a simple sales tax instead. Accept this reality, and try to understand a perspective that benefits more than just one person.
Neville Cook
I would vote for National. After living a few years in Australia and returning to NZ about three years ago we find that the tax rates in Australia are now much more attractive due to adjustments by Australian Government. Over the past couple of years. We can understand why we loose so many good people to Australia. We have a son who completed a medical degree a couple of years ago, complete with large student loan, and know that he is frustrated with conditions in NZ now and we know he will leave these shores very soon. We also have another son who completed a double degree in property and commerce (also with student loan). He is already in UK and has really no incentive to come back to NZ. My question is: why do we train all these people and then offer no incentive for them to work in NZ? In the case of doctors we import new immigrants who require addition training at huge cost to taxpayer. Would it not be more cost effective for NZ trained professions to stay, which requires the right conditions something we obviously do not have under Labour.
Matthew
I'd vote National, not because they're great, but to get rid of a government of extremists who want to control my life. Say no to anti-smacking, say NO to flour additives.
Prop
If there were an election today who would I vote for and why?I would vote for National. The Labour Government is tired, if it has not already done so, it is fast reaching its used by date.National has more younger and energetic MP's and with it's Key/English combination at the top they are starting to look more viable and a party more in tune with NZ Inc.
Steph
I have no faith in either party. National support only the rich and labour only the poor and lazy. It is very difficult as a hardworking, middle class citizen to know who to vote for. I am sick of my taxes being wasted and the hardworking among us being punished financially when we do well, but if National come in, a bunch of capitalist homophobic, racist and bigoted pigs will run the country and those in genuine need will never have any help. And who wants a party who discriminate against the minorities. No confidence. I will vote for some random party!
LV
Labour and Helen Clark's PC left-leaning social engineering has had it chance and is a failure.The people of this country want and need a change of govt and for that fact I can see National winning comfortably.I just hope they get a good majority so they dont become reliant on the fringe parties such as the Greens and Maori party who are just wastes of space.
Chris
Labour's lazy spending over the past nine years has fuelled inflation and interest rates. Of course it should be cut almost none of it has gone into anything productive. I estimate you could eliminate 40 per cent of the increased spending from the past 8 years and it wouldn't make a jot of difference to the standard of public services. We have twenty-something Ministries when the likes of Ireland manage with just 13. When will someone stand up and promote public spending cuts as a good thing, reducing wasteful bureaucracy and giving what is rightfully our own money back to the people?
Murray M
In the last election I gave my electorate vote to National and my party vote to the Maori Party. This time I am, like Carl giving both my votes to National. In my view MMP has not worked, and above all we need to remove the Greens. We do not need the nanny state, and National is the party that encourages people to take responsibility and jot rely on freebies and handouts. Mind you, I hope the Maori party wins the Maori electorate seats, as this country needs an independent voice for Maori and not MPs who are subservient to the party line of the two main parties.
Bruce
I'll vote for the re-introduction of capital punishment; the abolition of the anti-smacking bill and the dumping of MMP.
Hugh
I would vote for National as I can not stand Labour or their policies which are all self serving to ensure that people will vote for them.
pCb
I'm with Carl on this one. Labour have had all the opportunity and with a few minor exceptions have made no meaningful gain (big on micro management and spin short on substance and in certain areas ethics) They can't blame the current economic and social environment on the damage done by past National governments as with three terms under their belt they have had more than enough time to bail out the sinking ship. National may not be the panacea we hope for but rather them than a government big on social agenda and short on economy building (somewhere along the line this "utopia" has to be paid for).
Dan
Labour, for all its ups and downs, has my vote. National is full of Hollow Men and the people who say give me your vote and then we will write policy. I think of Bradford, and Richardson, and Shipley, and Creech, and say "Never again!"
JPS (Dunedin)
I am a traditional Labour supporter but am sick to death of their depraved social policy. Yet I don't exactly trust National either, whose economics invariably benefit only a few. Like many socially conservative, politically moderate people, I am leaning towards Winston as a compromise vote. Unfairly vilified by a biased politically correct media, he is doing well as foreign minister and Ron Mark is the only politician I have heard talking sense on social policy. I will only vote Labour again if the immensely promising, virile and virtuous Clayton Cosgrove becomes leader.
Unlike most commentators, I believe Winston is far from finished.
Arron
I have always voted Act but refuse to if Hide is still leader after he committed Auckland ratepayers to funding the dinosaur Eden Park. It's a shame National are now such a centrist party but they are the only option to get rid of the scrounging, morally bankrupt, lowest common denominator society created by the Helengrad regime. The sad thing is that Labour has already destroyed the country and has set us up for a coming economic crash. Better off to head overseas and leave the civil servants and low-life beneficiaries to this socialist uptopia, unfortunately the money will dry up soon. How will you be able to afford cigarettes and KFC then?
Carole
National will be getting my vote. John Key is a breath of fresh air, his regular videos on his blog site are very informative. He will instill in New Zealanders personal responsibility and stop all the social engineering.
Ian ( Auckland )
National without hesitation. Labour is so far out of touch with reality they dont even deserve to be considered. They simply do not understand the financial pressures that families are facing. They assume we can spend too much when many in so called affluent suburbs also are struggling to pay their costs.The other parties are only hangers on when it suits and detractors to efficient government.What the country needs is a majority Govt ( National ) that can get on with governing the country rather than what we see now with a Govt playing petty politics, worrying about being PC, and without any conscience, and not making decisions for the whole populace. Labour makes choices that enhance their chance of re-election. Govt once elected is supposed to represent and listen to all electors and abide by majority will.
Robert
I'll actually be voting this time and I'll be voting National to help them get over 50 per cent.Imagine the prospect of Helen's grand coalition consisting of Labour/Greens/Maori/NZ First/Progressives and whoever else Helen can get.Now that is a real scary alternative.
Ken
I would go with National. I will never ever vote for Helen in my life. I have families with 3 kids working very hard, just sick of Helen's dictatorship ruling. I want a government who listens to the people not passing stupid legislation like smacking when over 80 per cent people oppose it. Sick of the way she treats Fiji and damaging their tourism industry rather giving them helping hand. My personal view that Commodore Bainimarama is doing the right thing for Fiji. I am not sure National is the answer for this but at least will be better than Madam Helen.
Yousef
We are giving up from Labour, I'm talking regarding the Middle Eastern community, and I can assure you the majority will vote National in the next election due to the following facts:1) Labour is setting up most of the Middle Eastern citizens by using one point of contact, which is the National Office in Wellington to deal with their family Immigration applications, holding them up to 1-3 years. 2) If you are from Middle East (except Gulf States) you won't be able to have work permit even if you are severing New Zealand in perfect manner, even if you have New Zealander Partner still you have to wait NZ immigration office to process your application from 1 to 12 months minimum. I know a lot of people from Middle East their live damaged because of NZ Immigration unequal treatments, also I can assure NZ immigration since 1999 is going down hell with poor customer services. You can check that easily by making survey with Middle Eastern in New Zealand, living in New Zealand used to be easy when National was in power.
Ian
i'm voting Destiny again. Why? Helen wouldn't have the slightest idea how to raise family and National don't have balls. Destiny, the only party whose been consistently pushing the same issue. Healthy marriage makes healthy families which makes for healthy communities and a healthy nation. So basic and common sense for everyday folk just too hard for politicians to comprehend. Why? Cause their own personal lives are a disgrace. Vote destiny is a vote for integrity. Swallow that pill Labour.
Adrian
National will get my vote this time around. I am fed up of the tax grabbing, we know best nanny state, and we will control your life attitude of this government. Cullen is to blame for the current high interest rate as he and is team have let government spending get out of control and now don't have the balls to slow spending down as next year is an election year. Instead they let Joe Average foot higher interest bills, higher food bills and higher government charges. It's a shame that the voter can't decide on a more regular basis political layoffs in the same way as employers can.
Brendan
Tough question, vote for a govt that believes in communism by stealth? Don't think so, any bright NZer with common sense will see Labour for what it is, a bunch of monkeys with a open cheque book. Nats have my vote.
NeillR
Seven years ago Helen Clark triumphantly proclaimed that they would transform NZ into a 'knowledge economy'. In subsequent years, we've had social engineering, a redistribution of wealth and the greatest exodus of skilled workers to other countries in the history of our nation. I will be voting for anyone other than Labour, who may have destroyed our country for a generation.
Bruce
John do you realise that a two point increase in GST would generate enough tax dollars to fund government spending while at the same time eliminate the need for PAYE tax in this country? Do that and you immediately raise living standards in this country to make a real difference. Labour won't do it, Cullen today says economic growth is unsustainable and he wants to shut the country down. Will National overhaul tax and the economy so we can keep growing long-term? Someone earlier derided a return to user pays but if I gave you back 36 per cent of your income and raised GST 2 per cent you're so much better off to make individual choices about what you want to do, not what a government will let you do. That's called freedom of choice.
Jo J
I am totally fed up with Labour and their policies. I have always voted Labour and they are losing my support. However, National will promise the earth just to get back into power. Remember Jenny Shipley, brr that woman and her policies gave me the creeps. Dob in you neighbour! now that really helps enhance community. I think I will do myself a favour and move countries! Seriously thinking moving over the ditch may be a good idea.
Ben
If an election was held now I would vote National in the Party Vote. The fact I am a member of the Young Nats is irrelevant, it doesn't stop me disagreeing or even voting the otherway if I think the party's policies stink in other words I vote on my own free will as I did in the 05 elections. I would vote for National today as I see their policies and John Key as a fresh start to take NZ foward for at least the next 6 years. Sadly as all 3 term governments have done, Labour has stagnated and often a defeat is needed for a party to reinvent herself to comeback ready for their next stewardship as has been with the Nats. And being there in the cogs of the Nats and seen what they are willing to do for NZ, even though I know some policies will be seen as unpopular or tough I would still vote for them in an election today. A side note, not all polices please 100 per cent of us, that is impossible and we know that. We elect governments on what their majority of their polices will be good for us.
Sid
Too many rules and regulations have been introduced in the last decade. There is a theory growing that humans need a certain level of risk and the more restrictive and therefore "safer" a society is, the more people need to find alternative risks in their lives. The sensible and rich amongst us buy things like mountain bikes, others find ways like speeding, petty crime, etc. See ya Labour.
Julian
I would vote for neither, National screwed NZ in the 1990's by their re-structuring of the Public Health system, people! They are the reason we have waiting lists and so on, there are so many reason not to vote National or Labour for that matter. MMP can work in its true form if people stopped voting for the right or the left all the time, the same people the royally screw NZ over and over again. Voting for the smaller parties and their myriad of differing policies will at least voice your views as NZers, these two major parties leach the policies of their minor coalition parties. Case in point Don Brash stealing ACT Policies, Labour stealing Green and NZ First policies. Both of the major parties do not deserve to be voted for, vote for those parties that closely resemble your views I think, and vote for a party that is at least original in policy making.
Whangarei
Helen Clark says the smacking bill hurt them.What does she think the price of petrol does to us?
Carl Forster
National will be getting both my votes.I have had enough of this MMP voting system.All it has given us is what the party that can convince the other minor parties to vote for what they want.Sorry I am reverting back to a FFP system of voting.
John Shingleton
I would vote National for the main reason that I believe Labour have squandered a golden opportunity to use good economic indicators to make further fundamental changes to the economy, which changes may have enabled us to increase our positioning in the OECD. One change would have been to increase the tax threshold so to allow kiwis to aspire to better paid positions and/responsibilities without being penalised, which is what Labour has done.I also do not like Cullen's arrogance which I find typical of academics who have never worked in the private sector, where you are accountable for your stuff ups. He would not last a week outside of the public or teaching sector.
Linda
I would vote for National.Labour have a leader that out and out lies. Even her billboards are a lie her face is so manipulated it doesn't even look like her. I am embarrassed for our country to have her has prime minister.
Carolyn Butcher
I'd vote National as I am sick of social engineering. Taking responsibility away from those that ought to be held accountable. I am sick of being taxed more because I work incredibly hard to get where I am while those who can't be bothered to get motivated hold their hands out for more cash for doing nothing. There are a raft of other reasons why I will vote National including failed health systems, failed law and order policies etc etc etc but I am sure that other people will comment fully on these also.
Dennis Millett
I will vote National at the next election. I am sure that the public have had a gutful of social engineering and stupid legislation from Madam Trotsky.
Jim Simpson
ell me something that they have done right in the last 6 months. Its a Government that has not got a clue on how to handle the economy with the high dollar crippling our exporters. We are still spending way above what we should be.
Steve
Voter beware:.John Keys eyes are just a little too close together and he has a little twitch going on.
Amrps
I just don't trust John Keys or National, they are up to their usual tricks. They say everything we want to hear leading up to the election and then once they are in they do nothing but tell us why they can't deliver on their pre election promises. National is full of hot air since when did they care about average kiwis. They are rich folk taking care of other rich folk sitting around scratching each others..Don't be fooled by John Keys he is a wolf just check out that cheesy grin! I'll be voting Labour.
Bruce
I'd vote for a change of Government. Personally I'm sick of fighting against a government in trying to get ahead and pay my mortgage off quicker. I'm sick of loosing 60 per cent of my income to the taxman then get told I need to pay even more for vitally needed infrastructure. I'm sick of being punished and/or ignored because I make responsible decisions such as having private super, no kids etc etc, so don't qualify for any tax bribes. I'm sick of a government run on ideology that was never declared at the last election; smacking, banning of vitamin pills etc. etc. I want a government that listens to the people and is in touch with them and answers questions directly and honestly, and has a gameplan for the future (starting with a total overhaul of the oppressive and unfair progressive tax method that strangles us).
Luke Mason
It looks as though Labour are closing in, but there is a long way to go. However, still with several months to go, there is plenty of time for Helen to catch up. She is a tried and true campaigner, and although she has taken a lot of flak in the Helen-bashing campaign. At the end of the day, voters back her because they realise that having National back in, hedges the possibilty of user pays, selling us down the road, gone by lunchtime policies. John Key can promise the world, however having a merchant banker running the country enhances echoes of Roger and Ruth-enonomics!
Fiji Boy
I think Helen Clark's days are numbered. The Fiji Indian community in NZ is fed up with her constant meddling in the affairs of our country. She is way off the mark in her criticism of Fiji's interim regme and the Fiji Indians here don't appreciate that. She must understand that Commodore Bainimarama is doing the right thing. Hopefully John Key will show better understanding as PM from next year.