Transtasman Political Letter – August 7 Digest

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August 7, 2008
Ugly election campaign looms, as accusations of “dirty tricks” fly back and forth...Treasury confirms NZ is in recession: how quickly will it bounce back?...Economy is re-balancing with export sector taking up the slack, while consumer spending dives...Sovereign credit rating re-affirmed...Is Peters the quintessential political escapologist?...And the Transport Minister sets new goals for transport sector.

An Ugly Election Campaign Looms But...

It’s going to be an ugly election campaign. This is if it follows the pattern set this week. National and Labour went at it hammer and tongs, as they sought to undermine each other’s credibility.

..The Economy Still The Main Election Issue

Despite all the brouhaha about “secret agendas” and “dirty tricks,” the economy will dominate the election campaign.

Economic Debate – Borrow Or Not?

Bill English brandished a raft of quotes from Helen Clark’s time in opposition, after she denounced National’s plans to boost infrastructure investment with “a prudent programme” of debt management.
Will The Export Sector Pull Us Through?

NZ’s export sector could pull the country out of its recessionary nosedive. Export commodity prices hit record highs in July, and are driving an essential rebalancing as consumer spending drops off.
CAPITAL TALK
Aust PM Kevin Rudd will visit Auckland on August 19 to take part in a trans-Tasman climate change conference, along with Helen Clark.

Play Of The Week: Failed Rhetoric Of The Past

Labour landed some hits on National this week, and not all of them were due to illicit taping of senior National MPs.

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