Campaign Diary: one week to go

Angst over Auckland

Expect Helen Clark and Jenny Shipley to concentrate on the country's deepest well of voters - Auckland. Despite a commanding lead nationally in the Herald-DigiPoll, Labour is behind in Auckland, where National detects more undecideds than elsewhere. National will be hammering its economic record and its achievement managing a difficult minority Government. Labour will talk up its chances by outlining what it will do in its first 100 days and stress that only it can deliver a clearcut, Winston-free Government.

Stir Fry

National campaign heavies including Murray McCully and Jeff Grant retired to a Wellington eatery to digest three disastrous polls. One diner noted that any thought of slitting their wrists was hampered by the fact it was a Chinese restaurant and there were only chopsticks on the table.

WHAT THEY SAID

*"People are fleeing the party like fleas leaving a dog." - John Banks takes a swipe at NZ First and their voters at the same time.

*"Support for the centre-left is a mile wide but an inch deep. It is soft." - Banks refuses to give up on National despite the polls.

*"You would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to have seen the Asian crisis coming."- Helen Clark rubbishes Jenny Shipley's TV ad admitting that missing the Asian meltdown was a mistake.

WHERE THEY'LL BE

SATURDAY: Winston Peters spends the day in Tauranga; Richard Prebble campaigns in Wellington; Jenny Shipley attends the Pavarotti Concert; Helen Clark is at the Avondale Parade and Fun Day; Jim Anderton visits the Nelson A&P show.

SUNDAY: Winston Peters is on the East Coast; Richard Prebble flies to Great Barrier Island; Jenny Shipley has a post-CHOGM briefing; Helen Clark addresses a Wellington rally; Jim Anderton has a public meeting in Christchurch. - compiled by political staff