KEY POINTS:
National has started a series of attack ads against Labour's record in office, using newspaper headlines about crime, health and education to push its message it is "time to change".
The party has changed tactics just as Labour starts the second of its "two Johns" ads, which seek to dent party leader John Key's credibility by highlighting his comments on issues such as KiwiSaver and Working for Families. The ad then asks, "Can you really trust John in the tough times ahead?"
National has opted not to fight back against Labour leader Helen Clark personally, instead choosing a "time to change" message in its three new television ads attacking Labour's record on health, education and crime.
The advertisements begin as faux-Labour ads, on a red background and acclaiming Labour's record over the past nine years.
They then show newspaper headlines about violent crime, P-labs, police deaths, teenage crime, prisoner escapes, waiting lists and hospital bed shortages, teacher shortages or the numbers of students failing at school.
Viewers are then asked if they really expect things to change if Labour is given "one last chance".
Mr Key's initial response to the first Labour ads against him last week was to laugh them off, saying it showed Labour had run out of ideas and had nowhere to go other than to get dirty.
Last week he said National would not retaliate in kind as Labour was making a big enough fool of itself.
