KEY POINTS:
Helen Clark's log: 29-10-2008
Economic security, jobs, and training were issues on the minds of workers, students, and members of the public I met on the campaign trail yesterday.
Down in Motueka, in the sprawling West Coast-Tasman electorate, I talked with dozens of workers in white gumboots, hairnets and overalls at the Talleys food processing factory about my plans for restoring momentum to the economy.
For an area like the Nelson-Tasman region, the home-building sector will benefit from Labour's plans to improve housing affordability. I also talked about KiwiSaver, the retraining allowance, and the need to keep investing in public services, rather than slashing spending.
At Motueka High School, smartly turned-out prefects in blazers greeted me before we were joined by students coming in off the playing fields, where the day had been warm enough for bare feet and short sleeves.
Almost 100 students crammed into the library as we discussed making education relevant to their interests. The Schools Plus scheme, designed to keep young people in education or training until age 18, is central to Labour's plans for a high-skilled economy.
Releasing our ACC policy helped to highlight a fundamental difference - Labour will keep this world-class accident insurance scheme in public ownership while National would open it up to private Australian insurers.
We'll also change the law to reduce levy rates next year, bringing reductions in motor vehicle registration and employers' levies, thereby easing pressures on household budgets and small businesses. What to watch for today: We ride the train!
Helen Clark
John Key's log: 29-10-2008
The release of National's prisons policy, a visit to Air New Zealand's hangars, a drop-in to a preschool, and a meeting with Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker were all highlights of my visit to Christchurch yesterday.
The day was fine and calm when I arrived, but a strong nor'westerly was forecast.
I started the day visiting a preschool, and read a story to the children about a yellow digger.
I am a bit of an aviation nut, so the visit to Air New Zealand hangars at Christchurch Airport was of interest.
We saw their work on aircraft engines and parts, and their Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. The airline obviously has a thriving engineering business at the airport.
We were originally scheduled to release our prisons policy outside Rolleston Prison, but changed the venue to outside the Christchurch courthouse because of the rising winds.
The policy focuses on reforming our prisons and offering prisoners work experience and other help to overcome debilitating drug and alcohol addiction problems.
With the carrot is the stick of cancelling parole for those prisoners who are able to work but refuse to do so.
I believe it is a waste of resources letting offenders serve their time without challenging them to change their behaviour, only to release them and throw them back in prison again when they reoffend.
Today I am heading to the deep south, flying to Queenstown and then travelling on to Invercargill, where I will be staying overnight.
John Key
