PM not taking no for an answer

By HELEN TUNNAH

Her opponents reckon saying "no" to Prime Minister Helen Clark can be a challenge, but it's downright impossible on Labour's new election tool.

Their election website www.followtheleader.co.nz has only one correct answer, "yes", and all roads lead to the Prime Minister.

The election site was launched yesterday, and lays to rest any thought Labour would adopt anything but a presidential campaign over the next six weeks.

It opens with a leadership quiz, and the first test is if you think a leader should "embrace innovation, technology and creativity".

The trouble is, try clicking on "no" and the little icon disappears.

After four obedient answers, the site's homepage opens to a beaming Helen Clark and a message inviting readers to "Follow the leader. Follow Labour".

Party president Mike Williams said the website delivered a strong message about the importance of Clark's strong leadership.

The leader was back on familiar territory yesterday, at the Pt Chevalier RSA Bowls Club where she is joint patron with Labour MP Judith Tizard.

She had an obligatory bowl, quite impressive apart from the divot left in the green, before concentrating on filming for the party's opening television broadcast which she said would mention superannuation policy.

The bowlers, well used to Clark after 22 years' visiting the club, carried on with the day's play, apart from taking time out as unpaid "extras" in the Labour film.

Most said they supported both Labour and Clark, and felt two issues were the key this election - health and superannuation. The two, they said, were intertwined, with a reasonable income needed for health care to be affordable.

Local RSA president Roy O'Brien joked he had been playing "follow the leader" since the July 27 election was announced. It was the fifth time he had shaken hands with her in the past couple of days.

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