SCOOP VIDEO & AUDIO: Audio and Video: Leaders And Finance Spokespeople Talk About The Economy - Michael Cullen, John Key, Winston Peters, Rodney Hide, Rod Donald, Gordon Copeland had 5 minutes each to answer the following questions on tax, government spending and free trade. See... Five Party Leaders Quizzed On Progress ALSO: Video: Six Finance MPs Quizzed On The Economy Audio:Election Briefing - Alastair Thompson IVs John Key Audio: Election Briefing - Kevin List IVs Dr Wayne Mapp ALSO: While you are here, take a look at Scoop's new advertisement! Don't Swallow Just Anything! RECOMMENDED AUDIO: SCOOP AUDIO: Selwyn Manning on 95bFM with Simon Pound(Talks about the impressions of Election 05's first week of political campaigning.) SCOOP AUDIO: Selwyn Manning on Adelaide Radio(Talks about Awatere-Huata, Election Campaign 05, Andrew Wilkie, rock throwing crimes.) SCOOP AUDIO: Kevin List on Radio Active (Talks about the finance leaders debates and United Future's preference.) 95bFM AUDIO: The Wire Alastair Thompson and Simon Pound discuss the Govt's EFU and Labour's Tax Cut Plan SCOOP AUDIO: Helen Clark, Michael Cullen & Steve Maharey Post Pre-EFU Press Conference announcing policy of increased Family Tax Relief - 45 Minutes Click here for Scoop's Audio and Video page

CAMPAIGN DIARY

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Thursday September 15 2005
Video: Selwyn Manning Interviews Matt Robson - Will This Man Be Back? - Is the Progressive Party being caned in the polls for being too close to Labour? Will its deputy leader and Parliament's man of social conscience, Matt Robson, be returned to Parliament? If not, what will he do? Scoop co-editor Selwyn Manning interviews Matt Robson about how he sees this election. See... Scoop Video: Selwyn Manning Interviews Matt Robson

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Wednesday September 14 2005
Audio: Where's This Man Going To Sit? Kevin List Interviews Mr Peters - Questions Include: Marc Alexander last week slammed your new coalitions approach as making you a poodle party, how would you feel being the poodle party for the poodle party? See... Scoop Election Briefing: NZ First's Winston Peters
Ambiguous? In an effort to ensure that there are no miss-understandings of precisely what New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters means by his stated policy of backing the party which wins the most seats, Scoop's Alastair Thompson questioned Mr Peters on the detail of his intent. See… Audio: Getting Things Crystal On Coalitions With Winston

If Mr Dunne And Mr Peters Play Ball National Set To Romp In - In one of the final polls due before Saturday, the latest Fairfax New Zealand ACNielsen poll, gives National a six-point lead over Labour heading into the final three days of the campaign. Labour has fallen four points in the poll to 37 per cent, while National is down one point to 43%. See... National Is A Step Away From The Treasury Benches
ALSO:

Poll Watch - Fairfax ACNielsen: Nat 43%, Lab 37%

Progressive Party - Anderton Sure NZ First Ready To Support National

United Future NZ - Greens the albatross around Clark's neck

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Tuesdy September 13 2005
Scoop Audio: Alastair Thompson Interviews Helen Clark - Scoop co-editor Alastair Thompson caught up with the Prime Minister Helen Clark in her Beehive office to conduct what will be one of her last in-depth interviews before Saturday's election. Questions include: What are your impressions from around the country about how you have been received? - Social services - Peak Oil - Maori Electorates - Coalition Deals - Foreign Affairs in the Pacific. Click here to listen to Helen Clark's last in-depth interview before polling day. See... Election Briefing: Prime Minister Helen Clark & Transcript: Scoop Interviews PM Helen Clark. See also... Scoop Images: Helen Clark At Canterbury University

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Monday September 12 2005
Never Mind The Bollocks: Here Are The Marginal Predictions - Selwyn Manning writes that while the major focus of this year's election campaign coverage has firmly examined Don Brash and Helen Clark's performances, there's a fight taking place out in the marginal seats and even a high-placed Cabinet minister looks likely to lose. Scoop can confirm National is gaining traction. Even in the south Auckland electorates, while Labour will hold Manurewa, Manukau East, Mangere, the traditionally large election night Labour majorities are promising to be slashed. See... Marginal Predictions: It's Turning Blue Out There

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Friday September 9 2005
Backgrounder: Exclusive Brethren Lobby Centre Right Parties in 2004 - Last year the Exclusive Brethren actively lobbied politicians on the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill and the Civil Union Bill. The Exclusive Brethren were assisted in their campaign to exempt themselves from employment law by United Future's leader Peter Dunne. Mr Lough told Scoop on Friday that he lobbied Mr Dunne as he was his Local MP (Ohariu Belmont). See...Backgrounder: Exclusive Brethren Lobby MPs On Unions And...Dunne's Relationship With The Exclusive Brethren
ALSO:

Scoop Audio - CTU's Ross Wilson discusses the Exclusive Brethren And Employment Legislation

Green Party - Brethren's pamphlet first used in Australia

Labour - Brash feigns astonishment to hide dirty tactics

2003 Exclusive Brethren manifesto released by Labour

See also...FULL COVERAGE: Don Brash & The Excl. Brethren

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Thursday September 8 2005
TVNZ LINK: DON BRASH APPEARS ON CLOSEUP
RADIOLIVE AUDIO: BRASH DENIES LYING + CHRIS TROTTER ON POLITICAL FALLOUT"I Knew They Were Going To Issue Some Pamphlets Attacking The Government" - Don Brash
Listen to clip - Download(81k) - This morning, when interviewed by Noelle McCarthy on Auckland's BFM, National Leader Dr Don Brash confirmed that he had met with the Exclusive Brethren who are behind an anti-Labour and anti-Green Party campaign. The leaflet campaign, which is already estimated to have cost half a million dollars, is expected to continue next week. Dr Brash: "I knew they were going to issue some pamphlets attacking the Government. And I said 'that's tremendous - I'm delighted about that because the Government is lousy and should be changed.'" See… Dr Brash Confirms Knowledge Of Pamphlets. See also…. NEWSFLASH Confusion Over Pamphlet Policy In National Party - Did Don Brash Lie To His Deputy Leader, OR Didn't Gerry Brownlee Ask Him?
ALSO:

National - Labour Wrong On Brethren Claims

Scoop - TRANSCRIPT: 95bFM Noelle McCarthy IV with Dr Brash

Alastair Thompson on 95bFM - (Talks about National leader Don Brash admitting he knew Brethren were planning a pamphlet drop.)

95bFM - Brash On 95bFM Breakfast (text)

95bFM - Noelle McCarthy & Brash - Full interview (m3u)

Scoop - Satire: Suggested Excuses For The Use Of Dr Brash

Nats - Look Left For Conspiracies

Greens - National lies to Kiwis about Brethren links

Labour - Brash caught lying over Brethren pamphlets

PPTA - Desperate attempt to divert attention

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Wednesday September 7 2005
BFm Callers Say Exclusive Brethren Building Nats Billboards - Russell Brown Writes: I don't normally post twice in a day, but I've just had two callers to my 95bFM show - one a workmate, the other an estranged family member - emphatically inform me that members of the Exclusive Brethren have been putting up National Party billboards ... See... Hard News 7/9/05: This just in ... and Public Address 07/09/05 - What A Cult!
MORE:

Alastair Thompson - Scoop Audio: Mallard Talks Memos & Dirty Tricks

ALSO:

Scoop Images - Scoop Receives anti-Green, -Labour pamphlets

Scoop Video - Greens Victim Of Dirty Tricks Campaign

Green Party - Exclusive Brethren secret backers of Nat's

Green Party - Complaint Laid Over Smear Campaign

Green Party - Dirty Tricks Pamphlet Author Won't Front

Green Party - Greens Challenge Parties To Disown Dirty Tricks

Green Party - Smear campaign not so Christian

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Tuesday September 6 2005
Bryan Sinclair To Brash –" Be Sloppy, Soft And Wet" - “You need to be sloppy, soft and wet – i.e. open up the cheque book, as excruciating as this will feel. There is a large government surplus and the real result will be determined by who the public thinks is best to spend it. Soft centre voters are inherently self interested and will vote according to what they can get out of you. Election winning behaviour requires you to slosh those funds around and buy your way to the Treasury benches.” See... Extracts From Bryan Sinclair's Brash Memo
ALSO:

Scoop Interview - Mallard On Memos & Nats. Internal Divisions

Scoop Link - Memo – Brash Advised To Buy Election

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Monday September 5 2005
On The Back-Foot: Labour Holds Pre-Caucus Press Conferences - Labour Awakens: Finance Minister Michael Cullen held Monday a press conference to attempt to explain his view on why National's tax policy will not work. Later PM Helen Clark held a brief Pre-Caucus conference outside Premier House. Click on the links below to listen to the standup in .MP3 audio. See... Pics/Audio: Michael Cullen On National's Budget and Scoop Audio: PM's Pre-Caucus Standup

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Saturday September 3 2005
SCOOP VIDEO & AUDIO:
VIDEO: Anti-Green Smear Campaign Delivered Nationwide To Letterboxes - The Green Party is calling on all other parties to state categorically that they have nothing to do with a dirty tricks campaign which has just been launched on the Greens. An attack leaflet headlined "The Green Delusion", containing significant untruths and distortions about Green policies, is being delivered in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and probably around the country, at a probable cost of at least $100,000. The Greens are asking the leaders of other parties to distance themselves from the dirty tricks campaign. See… Video: Greens Victim Of Dirty Tricks Campaign

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Wednesday 1 September 2005
Jordan Carter Has A Closer Look At Dr Don's Race Speech - I have now spent some time reading Don Brash's speech from Monday, and have reluctantly come to the conclusion that Don Brash doesn't actually understand what he is talking about. See... New Zealand? Or the new Australia?

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Wednesday August 31 2005
Voting Starts - Kiwis who are overseas can cast their vote in New Zealand's general election from today, Wednesday 31 August 2005. See… Chief Electoral Office - Overseas Voting Begins For NZ Election

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Tuesday August 30 2005
Peters Attacks Dr Brash's Unofficial AdvisersPeters: "National has been exposed as the puppets of the far right many suspected they were. We had always known Don Brash was just not his own man – but none of us knew the entire cadre of puppet masters who where operating behind the scenes. It now seems it is a veritable whose who of the far right. National’s three “R’s” – no not those – but Ruth, Roger and Roger. I mean everybody knew Ruth Richardson was there – but Roger Douglas, Michael Basset and even Rob McLeod too?" See... Peters: Hidden Agendas – Who Is Surprised!
ALSO:

Green Party - Pick a horse, Winston

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Audio & Transcript: John Key Defends Don Brash
Brash Speech: "We Are All New Zealanders"

Monday August 29 2005
C.D. Sludge: Dr Don Brash - 'Tool Of The Business Roundtable'C.D. Sludge Writes: "The entire basis of Dr Brash's Orewa oratory rests on his credibility as a plain-speaking politician talking from his heart about issues which tap directly into the political milieu of "mainstream" New Zealand voters. However what if - as Ruth Laugesen seemingly proves conclusively - these are not actually his ideas at all, but rather a set of ideas pushed upon him by self-serving business interests represented by highly paid spin-doctors, many of whom actually owe their allegiances to a party other than the National Party…." See... Sludge Report #168 – Don Brash, Roundtable 'Tool' ALSO National's Leaked Papers - Scoop Blog-Watch
MORE:

Russell Brown: - What would we like you to say about us

No Right Turn - No Place For Maori Under National

Progressives - Gently into the far right goes Brash's plan

Labour - Maharey: Brash's agenda exposed & Cullen: Come clean, Dr Brash

United Future - Time for Nats/ACT to face reality

MEDIA LINKS: Sunday Star Times - Ruth Laugesen: Brash's Right-Hand Men & How Act Helped Brash Take Over - TVNZ - Brash labelled a puppet of Act

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Sunday August 21 2005
Scoop Video: Ditch Widens Between Labour & National (23 minutes): Labour and National launched their respective election campaigns at the same time and in the same city, Auckland. But how different are these two mainstream political parties? Has Labour got what it takes to win an historic third term in office for Prime Minister Helen Clark? Political Review editor Chris Trotter gives us his view. And has National leader Don Brash really reinvented National? If so, what does he stand for? Scoop co-editor Selwyn Manning inserted himself inside Brash’s launch to see what he had to say. (Topics include: foreign affairs, tax, education, welfare, policing, race relations) See… Video Election 05: What Is Brash Really Planning?

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Saturday August 20 2005
Video: Thousands Turn Out To Farewell David Lange Scoop Video: David Lange's brother Peter addressed around 2000 people at Auckland's Ericsson Stadium as a final farewell to the man that touched thousands. The service was a celebration of David Lange's life and achievements, remembering his time growing up in south auckland, his term as Prime Minister, and how he was regarded in New Zealand and abroad. The service included speeches from his son Roy, the Prime Minister Helen Clark, and songs from Dave Dobbyn and others...

• Scoop Video: Service For David Lange (Peter Lange)


• Scoop Video: Service For David Lange (Roy Lange)


• Scoop Video: Service For David Lange (PM Address)


• Scoop Video: Dave Dobbyn Sings For David Lange


• Text: PM’s Address To Memorial Service for David Lange


• Personal Reflections Of South Auckland's Statesman

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Sunday August 14 2005
Scoop Feature: New Zealand's Statesman Passes Away
Memorial Feature On David Lange: Scoop co-editor Selwyn Manning reflects back on what this remarkable New Zealander meant to the people of South Auckland, what difference he made to NZ, and what it was like to be in his presence. See... Personal Reflections Of South Auckland’s Statesman
ALSO:

Scoop Audio - Scoop & RadioLive Discuss David Lange’s Passing & Legacy

PM Helen Clark - Death of Rt Hon David Lange

National Party - Brash pays tribute to Lange

Maori Party - Maori Party Acknowledges Rt. Hon David Lange

United Future - Dunne: David Lange inspired a nation

CTU- CTU pays tribute to David Lange

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Friday August 12 2005
Scoop Report: Dunne & Anderton Win Court Battle With TV3 - Justice Ron Young today found in favour of Peter Dunne and Jim Anderton in their battle to be seen on TV3 tonight. Both men had been culled from TV3's leaders debate based on a single poll published on 28 July. Justice Young was satisfied that TV3's decision not to include Mr Anderton and Mr Dunne was susceptible to judicial review, TV3 had put itself into the public arena, and in Justice Young's opinion, by staging the Leaders' Debate had certain public responsibilities. See... TV3 Has 'Public Responsibility' To Include Leaders
ALSO:

TV3 Statement - Mark Jennings on High Court Ruling

Scoop Report - Party Leaders Exclusion 'Irrational & Capricious'

Progressive Party - Anderton Letter To TV3 Friday July 29 2005

United Future - Dunne Letter To TV3

Scoop - Backgrounder: The Culling Of Anderton And Dunne

Scoop Column - A Week of It: Democracy 'n' Media Special

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Wednesday, August 11 2005
Scoop Audio: Brash Congratulates Kiwis On Low Unemployment Result - Statistics New Zealand has released figures showing New Zealand's unemployment rate has lowered to 3.7 percent and that more people are now in employment. New Zealand now has the lowest unemployment rate within the group of OECD countries. Scoop's Selwyn Manning caught up with National leader Don Brash to gauge his reaction. Scoop also quizzed Don Brash on exactly how he intends to take a razor to New Zealand's public health service. See... Audio: Brash Interviewed On Unemployment &Health
ALSO:

Scoop's Top Audio Stories From Today

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Wednesday, August 10 2005
Punter Takes A Flutter: $50,000 On The Nose For Labour - A Centrebet punter today bet $50,000 on Labour winning next month's New Zealand election. Centrebet reacted by cutting its exclusive odds on Labour retaining power from 1.61 to 1.53. The Centrebet punter will make a profit of $30,500 if Labour provides the next prime minister. "I'd be very happy if I was Helen Clark and very concerned if I was Don Brash as election punters don't bet so big so early unless their fancy is miles in front," says Centrebet's Gerard Daffy. See... Punter bets $50,000 on Labour winning NZ election

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Thursday, August 3 2005, 10:40 am

Goff Tables His Evidence Of Dr Smith's US Friendly Foreign Policy

Today during the final question time for this Parliament Labour Whip Jill Pettis asked Mr Goff a question related to Dr Smith's United States sojourn last year. Mr Goff then read out, under parliamentary privilege, the guts of a conversation Dr Smith had supposedly had with United States officials last year. Mr Goff later tabled excerpts of a diplomatic cable that alleged Dr Smith had been inquiring about United States policy assistance. See... Scoop Transcript: MFAT Cable Regarding Dr Lockwood Smith

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Thursday, 28 July 2005, 3:44 pm

Labour Strategy Resembles John Howard Tactics

Selwyn Manning writes that Labour has revealed a campaign strategy that has an uncanny likeness to that which pulled Australia's Prime Minister John Howard back from the brink of defeat. Here Scoop examines this move and considers how Labour's king-hit tertiary policy is part of a plan to relegate National onto the back-foot. Clark appears to have taken a leaf out of Australian Prime Minister John Howard's book. In the lead up to the 2004 federal campaign the Liberal/Nationals coalition government was running slightly behind the ALP - although Howard was far ahead of the then ALP leader Mark Latham as preferred Prime Minister. See... Labour Strategy Resembles John Howard Tactics
ALSO:

Labour Becomes The NZ General Election Favourite

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Friday, 29 July 2005, 11:06 am

Polls Detect Drift Away From Nats and NZ First

- Poll trends tipping National to lead the next govt have been reversed with the Herald reporting the Labour Party is now 6.4 points ahead of its traditional rival. Winston Peters appears the biggest loser dropping eight points as preferred Prime Minister... See... Trend Reversal Sees Nats Losing Ground To Labour
ALSO:

Molesworth & Featherston (Weekend) - 29 July 2005

TV3 Poll – Labour & National Neck & Neck

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Wednesday, 27 July 2005, 4:04 pm

Have Clark's Foreign Policy Attacks Caused National To Retreat?

Dr Brash explained to TVNZ's Susan Wood this week that the National Party was committed to "an independent foreign policy". However he later explained that National's foreign policy would be made "in the light of what is best for New Zealand and New Zealanders." But what does this mean? In June 2004, following a visit to the United States, Dr Brash said that New Zealand's foreign policy regarding nuclear warship visits would require prior consultation with the United States. For more see... PM's Attacks Lead To Muted National Foreign Policy
ALSO:

Kevin List: A Week of It: US Friendly Policy Under Fire

Scoop Background Report: - Iraq Conflict Set To Be NZ Election Issue

FULL COVERAGE: Iraq, Nukes and Nat Foreign Policy

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Monday, 25 July 2005, 5:24 pm

PM Defines Election Battleground

- Helen Clark said that this election is about leadership, credibility, and values. "It’s about who can be trusted to run a strong economy, create jobs, lift living standards, and invest back into the basics of health, education, services for older citizens and families, infrastructure, and law and order. See... Prime Minister announces Election Date and PM's Statement on the 2005 General Election
REACTION:

National - Don Brash responds to election date

NZ First - Let The Show Begin - Peters

Greens - Greens looking forward to hard, clean campaign

ACT - Understanding MMP is the key for voters

United Future - United Future welcomes election date confirmation

ENDS