Mud-slinging stays low on dirt-o-meter

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political editor

Bill English had mud on his gumboots as he traipsed through the Coromandel yesterday.

So far, the mud is staying on the gumboots in this campaign.

It is tempting fate, but out on the hustings things are still awfully polite, although Helen Clark copped abuse from a lone National Party supporter while walking through downtown Blenheim yesterday.

Protesters are few and far between - the politicians have kept the dirt-o-meter turned down low. That may change as the televised leaders' debates get under way.

The campaign is in first gear. Yesterday was typical. English chose Greens' territory to release his party's environment policy, which would sell state-owned farms to set up a huge conservation fund.

Helen Clark went to an engineering works and a retirement village to underline Labour's emphasis on boosting apprenticeships and bolstering superannuation.

But, once again, there was friction between Labour and the Greens.

Following the American bombing of an Afghan wedding, the Greens' Keith Locke called for the withdrawal of SAS troops, saying he would raise the matter in any post-election coalition talks with Labour.

That was the cue for Foreign Minister Phil Goff to accuse him of making withdrawal a condition of the Greens joining a coalition, saying it further highlighted the difficulties of being forced to rely on the Greens.

Mr Locke did not say "condition". But the war of words suits the interests of both parties - the Greens look principled; Labour looks tough.

The ongoing argument between Labour and the Greens is the dominant issue of the campaign, and Labour wants to keep it so to scare voters into giving Labour an outright majority.

National is shut out of the argument because the polls show only Labour will be in a position to form the next Government.

To become relevant to the question of who governs, National needs to increase its support in the polls.

To do that, National first needs to be relevant to the question of who governs.

It is a Catch-22.

For Mr English, it is a bit like trying to get traction in the Coromandel mud.

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