Helen Clark back in the running, poll shows

I do belive Helen said a few weeks ago when she was way behind that she never puts any faith in these polls.

Neil: If the Maori Party went with Labour under that scenario, then THAT would be the majority wish - unlike Nats who can't work out MMP, left voters know their parties are going to unite to form a coalition if possible, and vote for the faction they feel best represents them. We vote for the Greens knowing it's also a vote for Labour and Jim Anderton - and have no problem with it. And considering most Maori Party voters' second choice is Labour, if there's a chance to keep Labour in power, that's what they'll do.

always thought this socialist country would return the communist back again only worse this time as because the real nuts, the greens will be in govt. this country is going no where but straight to 3rd world status. when comrad clark gets back in with loopey jeanette as deputy dog.

this country is going to lose our best and brightest at a rate never seen before. i cannot stand clark and key is not much better, however i see no chance in nz of there ever being any type of right wing govt in power ever again.

this will please the lefties but whether lefties like it or not most people who create wealth and the jobs that go with that would support right of centre govt. clark detests business along with her cheer squad, it is tuff in business as it is but when your govt is against u as well eventually business will get the message that nothing is ever going to change in nz, it is u against the rest.

i think over the next 50 years the only businesses left in nz will be those that have to stay. we are doomed to no better than 1% growth a year, the state and local govt just getting bigger and bigger and intruding more into every area of one's life

not much to look forward too for those who want to just get on and create wealth.

so cheer on lefties when clark gets back in but if u think that her lot will do anything to improve your lot in life have a think about it, she has had 9 years now in the greatest boom times this world has seen and i doubt u are better off, what will change.

left wing thinking is the cake cannot be made bigger so we have to cut it in to smaller bits to hand it around to more people.

right wing thinking is let's grow that cake as big as we can.

govt does not create wealth, it just spends it badly as rule and this govt are experts at that.

keeping voting left and doom yourself to big govt in a poor country, the mexico of the pacific

Well said Guy Smiley - I'm glad someone here is putting things in perspective.

Neill what do you mean by "Sure, Maori hold the balance of power, but it would be a big call for them to go against the majority wish"?

Actually, whichever coalition they chose to join would have a majority, and only if they joined it (so there's no way they could possibly "go against the majority" even if they wished).

That's why, as the plainly video said, the Maori party would be pivotal.

Funny how we trash polls when they don't tell us what we want to hear.

Not so sure about the Maori party being roped into supporting the majority party Neil. That's certainly one consideration, but on the other hand, they must also consider what their supporters want.

You've got the seats wrong - National 58, Labour 50, Greens 7, Maori 6 (assuming electorates won). Nat/Act = 60. Lab/Green= 57. Sure, Maori hold the balance of power, but it would be a big call for them to go against the majority wish.

Bleeding us dry, Glenn? Time for facts! The average wage has kept parity with Australia under Labour, whilst under National in the 1990s it lost 40%; Child poverty has decreased significantly thanks to Working For Families; Student debt growth has slowed, thanks to cuts on interest (on loans that should never have to be taken in the first place); NZ is internationally ranked one of the easiest places in the world in which to do business; our top tax rates are lower than in most European countries, who also have higher GDPs and standards of living; and our banks and economy are holding up well in the face of a global meltdown.

Whilst Key wants to take money from those earning less than $40k and give it to those earning a lot more, as his tax cut shows.

And as with every election, as it gets closer, the polls get closer and Clark/Cullen get more popular - or wait, is that polls don't canvass the opinions of those who really matter until it's close to election time?

as most here have stated over and over again, polls have no meaning. The only poll that holds any meaning is on election day.

I find the public of New Zealand to have there heads in the sand if they think that labour has got our countries best interests at heart. In the last nine years they have had a climate were the books should have been busting open with money but in reality is they have been bleeding us dry.