Tattle: Thanks for the memory

The past has a habit of catching up with politicians. Just ask Manurewa MP George Hawkins.

Within earshot of Mr Hawkins' midweek campaign launch, one bystander said he wouldn't vote for the Labour man.

It seems that Mr Hawkins, a former art teacher at Rosehill College, once asked his students which of them wanted to go home early.

One likely lad shot his hand up, only to be detained for half an hour while the rest of the class headed for the gates. And he was the watchful bystander on Wednesday.

Count one against the sitting member. Even cheeky schoolboys grow up to become voters.

Down in the mouth

Winston Peters had a rough week: a below-par performance on the Holmes debate and being called a "dickwit" by loyalist Jenny Bloxham, who showed up at an unelectable 22nd on the party list.

And through it all the NZ First leader was suffering from an intermittent raging toothache. Party sources said his best campaign strategy would be a visit to the dentist.

Moving target

Papakura reader Andy Hunt is doing his best to disclaim responsibility for the way it turns out. His Ford Fairmont sports the personalised plate MMPSUX.

"It's greeted with a huge amount of good humour," he said. "Even the police have been known to crack a smile."

Coming up smiling

Vote-courting in a North Shore shopping centre this week, Northcote MP Ian Revell unerringly directed the driver of the campaign bus to a vacant and accessible space in a busy parking lot.

"There's no luckier parker than me," he beamed. "That's what my wife always said ... until that recent spot of bother."

Mr Revell resigned as Deputy Speaker in February after revelations that he had sent threatening letters to a police chief whose staff had given him parking tickets.

Weighty comment

A meet-the-candidates show at the Aro Valley community centre in central Wellington on Thursday was one of the livelier evenings of the campaign so far - interjections and quips abounded. At one point the Alliance's Phillida Bunkle, who this week withdrew from the race to give Labour's Marian Hobbs a better chance at beating Act leader Richard Prebble, explained her decision by saying, "There's something bigger than me at stake."

"Yes, Shipley," interposed one wit.

Preaching to converted

Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson had an appreciative hearing at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Auckland yesterday. Almost half the 20 listeners were Act candidates or staffers as the man who cut taxes 87 times and reduced the number of families on welfare from 100,000 to 7500 outlined achievements Act would love to implement here.

Act's welfare spokeswoman, Dr Muriel Newman, was bubbling at the Wisconsin model - and, presumably, closely studying the face of its champion. When he arrived he said hello to her. Dr Newman responded: "Do you know where Governor Thompson is?"