'Undecided' takes a clear lead

HAMILTON - The Hamilton East and West electorates are perched on two of the sharpest knife-edges in the country.

Indications are that the marginal one-term National seats will slip back to Labour this election, but it is by no means decided.

A Waikato Times poll in Hamilton East showed Labour's Dianne Yates on 27 per cent - a one per cent lead over sitting National MP Tony Steel.

But 37 per cent of the 502 voters survey put themselves in the "undecided" category.

Hamilton's large university and polytechnic make tertiary fees a hot topic, and candidates agree the national issues of health, law and order and education are also to the fire in local voters' minds.

Voters at public meetings have given the incumbents plenty of flak.

Mr Steel, who holds the seat by 2000 votes, sought to impress one meeting with his record of achievements for the city.

But the left-leaning crowd was hard to convince.

When the former high school principal told the 200 voters that half of all students did not have a loan, murmurs of derision were heard and a man asked whether these lucky ones were the primary school children.

Mr Steel said most students were not heavily burdened by debt, while Dianne Yates, a Labour list MP, sat behind him on the crowded stage shaking her head vigorously.

Opposition candidates get less heckling from crowds, and Dianne Yates also had the benefit of noisy partisan supporters dotted around the hall.

In Hamilton West, National's Bob Simcock has a slim majority of 597.

The Times poll in Hamilton West showed Labour's Martin Gallagher on 27 per cent and Mr Simcock on 22 per cent.

But 42 per cent of the 517 voters surveyed were undecided.

Championing National's management of the economy Mr Simcock spelt out the party's message at a candidates' meeting: "If you want economic growth to continue, stick with us."

But he was left floundering for an answer when angry hecklers asked how good that economic management really was in light of the imminent redundancy of 343 Bendon workers in Hamilton and Te Aroha.

"The Government has a responsibility to deliver policies that give the greatest good to all people," was his reply.

"Tell that to the workers," was the audience's response.

Labour's hopeful, former MP Martin Gallagher, began the night quoting former National Prime Minister Jim Bolger's "decent society" slogan.

But his decent society, hospitals did not make profits at the expense of waiting lists, a generation of students was not burdened with debt, and the police had the resources needed to do their job.

Of course, such decency comes with a higher tax bill.

Alliance's Dave Macpherson gave everyone a clear insight into MMP machinations.

"I'm asking you to vote for Martin Gallagher in the electorate and to give your party vote to the Alliance."

Like the other small players east and west of the Waikato River, Mr Macpherson has taken a ringside seat while National and Labour slug it out.

"It's clearly a two-horse race," said Mr Gallagher.

"But the third party voters will be the key to this electorate."

NZ First's 1996 candidate, Neil Kirton, picked up 3800 of the candidate votes last time.

He is not standing this election and the major parties are vying to pick up what they see as a soft NZ First vote.