KEY POINTS:
Catherine Shepherd, 37, and husband Matthew, 36, own a home with their three daughters, aged 18 months to 7 years.
Cathryn runs a nutrition business part-time and Matt is a psychological researcher.
The party offering the best family package will get Cathryn Shepherd's vote. She's 90 per cent settled on National, but wants to hear more from the Kiwi Party.
She likes Labour's Working For Families scheme, for which the Shepherds qualify.
"It makes a huge difference."
Family geared policy is also important for Matt. "We spend lots of money at the other end, on prisons - a lot of that could go on resourcing families and agencies like Plunket."
Schools need better resourcing, teachers need better pay and status, and students need more flexibility in teaching styles.
Says Cathryn: "Kids learn differently.
"If that's caught early and alternative ways of learning are identified, it could help with all manner of issues."
Their eldest daughter attends a decile nine school.
Matt is concerned about the effort staff put into fundraising for resources, especially IT equipment which he considers should be provided.
He was leaning toward National but now wants to hear more. "As their policy drips out, I'm wondering are they are really going to return to user-pays.
"Which is a worry, if you have to pay for more services, with food and petrol going up, especially for a family like us - middle income with one earner."
Welfare policy will also influence the vote. Matt sees a need to reform some areas, "but it shouldn't be a knee-jerk response".
The couple has doubts about National's plan to compel solo parents on the DPB to work or train for at least 15 hours a week once their youngest child turns 6.
"It's got to work for the family," says Cathryn. "They go to work and their extra benefits are cut off and it doesn't make working worthwhile, especially when you've got to find extra money for work clothes and childcare. And because childcare is full, mums end up putting children in not so good places."
"It's a real tension," says Matt. "You don't want the kids to be worse off."
And Winston? He should go, and the politicking around him isn't doing Labour any favours.
"If Winston Peters had nothing to do with Labour, Helen Clark would be on to him like anything. Because she needs his votes, she's leaving him alone," he says.
