KEY POINTS:
With the national bank balance sliding into the red, one might have thought this was a week for Churchillian visions of strength, courage and national unity. Uh-uh.
This was the week the parties chose to fling open the public purse.
Like Mike Hosking on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Labour flourished a $150 billion cheque to guarantee bank deposits. "Would you like me to sign it now?" The next day it promised to abolish the parental income test on student allowances.
Labour was almost as generous with other people's money, pledging to annually lift the minimum wage.
National confounded free-market expectations by insisting that at least 40 per cent of the NZ Super Fund be invested in New Zealand.
John Key launched a $47 million "crusade" for literacy and numeracy and pledged to restore funding to Plunketline, which was axed under the present Government.
National did, at least, look for ways to pay for its promises, by getting ready to slash bureaucracy with its "razor gang", the Cabinet Expenditure Control Committee.
On safer ground, Labour promised to make public land available for families to build starter homes, egged on by the Green Party. The Greens also unveiled their transport policy of getting more bums on seats on trains.
NZ First accused all and sundry of nicking its ideas while "reaffirming" its policy of a universal student allowance. Winston Peters also upset the Greens as he promised to protect New Zealanders' jobs by cutting immigration.
The Maori Party trumped everyone with its plan to scrap the dole, causing consternation among a few politicos as the skies darken and the unemployment queues lengthen.
