KEY POINTS:
National clearly out-pledged Labour in the second week of the official election campaign, with spending promises that are boosted by $180 million more for medicines.
The Herald's Porkometer measures the pre-election spending promises of both major parties based on what they are trumpeting to woo voters.
It was
a relatively quiet campaign week in terms of spending promises, with Labour deciding to largely pull the plug on pledges other than infrastructure-related ones.
But it still dribbled out capital spending announcements, including an upgrade to a hospital.
National made $221 million worth of pledges during the week.
Among them was $180 million more for medicines over three years, including the funding of breast cancer drug Herceptin for a 12-month period.
National's other promises included $18.5 million more a year to recruit, train and employ extra police to go into the South Auckland area. The remainder of the policy to put 300 new sworn police into the region would come from "refocusing existing police resources", the party said. National made other law and order announcements during the week - in particular a policy to extend sentences for the worst offenders - but the cost of those was factored in when the party said recently it would have to build a new prison.
In the aged care area, National said it would put $5 million a year more into respite beds and $18 million more to help rest homes support and retain nursing staff. The health money would come out of the $750 million allocation of new spending both National and Labour have committed themselves to in future Budgets.
National also pledged to complete the Waikato Expressway roading project faster but spending for this was already added to the Porkometer when the party revealed the size of its infrastructure spending push.
National's Porkometer total rises to $21.32 billion.
Labour's rises to $18.81 billion.
It is notable that cuts to spending are not factored into the Porkometer, and if they were, then National would be behind Labour because it is intending to cut KiwiSaver costs and a research and development tax credit.
Labour's total has risen by small amounts, including $9 million over two years to develop nine new early childhood education services on existing school sites in South Auckland.
Rotorua Hospital's upgrade will be finished with the help of an extra $38.2 million from a combination of money from the Labour-led Government and the local district health board.
Health Minister David Cunliffe also announced an immediate $13 million to help reform the aged care sector.
