PM stays in touch down at the dairy

By RUTH BERRY and JULIET ROWAN

Prime Minister Helen Clark says she likes to keep her feet on the ground by popping down to the dairy for milk and a paper or driving to St Lukes to go to the supermarket.

She disclosed her shopping habits when asked at a press conference about the snap election called by a drunken Robert Muldoon 20 years ago yesterday which ended his nine years in power.

In a reference to the amount of whisky Sir Robert had consumed when he announced the election, Helen Clark was asked whether not drinking on the job was a leadership lesson he had taught her.

"I think the key lesson would be staying in touch," she replied.

"There was a sad note struck at one point late in Mr Muldoon's years ... when he mentioned he hadn't walked down Lambton Quay or Queen St in years and there was a feeling that he had become almost a leader under seige in the office."

It had been a lesson on how important it was to "keep your feet on the ground and keep circulating in the community so you are open to what people are actually saying".

Asked whether she often walked down Queen St and Lambton Quay, she replied: "It's not uncommon at all for me to walk around the corner to the dairy, buy the paper and the milk, go into the local supermarket, drive to St Lukes, go to the supermarket, do my shopping."

It gave her a chance to chat to people, Helen Clark said.

"It's great. I've never had any problems."

The Prime Minister pops into Valley Superette in Dominion Rd, close to her house in Mt Eden, about twice a month to buy a newspaper, milk and the odd pot of yoghurt.

Manager Dinesh Patel, who has been running the dairy for four years with wife Debbie, said conversation was limited to pleasantries.

"There's not much talk, just, 'How are you?'."

Mr Patel, who came to New Zealand eight years ago, says his friends in India can't believe that the country's leader comes into his shop.