Poll race kicks off in key city

By John Armstrong

The election campaign proper will start in earnest in two weeks with National and Labour going head-to-head with formal campaign launches on the same Sunday afternoon.

Auckland's status as the key political market for votes in this election was underlined yesterday when National became the fifth party to announce it will launch its nationwide campaign in the City of Sails.

The Prime Minister will address a rally at Eden Park on October 31, kicking off four weeks of political frenzy leading up to polling day on November 27.

Jenny Shipley will spend part of each week travelling on a special National Party campaign bus to be unveiled on Tuesday.

The Labour leader, Helen Clark, will also launch her campaign on October 31, with a rally in the Auckland Town Hall.

Fearing they would be swamped by the two big parties, the smaller ones have already set down campaign launches before that weekend.

The Alliance is first off the mark this Sunday at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna, followed by Act the next Sunday at the Ellerslie Convention Centre.

The Greens will also open their campaign in Auckland at the Marine Rescue Centre the following day, Labour Day. New Zealand First has yet to announce its launch date.