NOTE: CAPTIONS COMPUTER GENERATED USING OCR FROM DVB-SUBPICTURES. CA. NOTE: CAPTIONS COMPUTER GENERATED USING OCR FROM DVB-SUBPICTURES. CA. NOTE: CAPTIONS COMPUTER GENERATED USING OCR FROM DVB-SUBPICTURES. CA. ON THE NATION THIS MORNING, JUDITH COLLINS IS GONE. I HAVE TODAY ADVISED THE PRIME MINISTER THAT I AM RESIGNING AS A MINISTER. NEW INFORMATION HAS COME TO LIGHT THAT, IN MY VIEW, MEANS IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT I ACCEPT YOUR RESIGNATION AS A MINSTER. IS ITA GAME-CHANGER? THIS MORNING, THREE OPPOSITION PARTY LEADERS ON WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE CAMPAIGN. A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE NATION STARTS NOW. GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THE NATION. I'M LISA OWEN. WHICH PARTY WILL YOU BET THE HOUSE ON? WE HAVE OUR MAJOR HOUSING DEBATE WITH NICK SMITH AND PHIL TWYFORD SOON, AND LATER, A LOOK AT THE POLITICS OF CHRISTCHURCH. BUT FIRST, WE'RE REACTING TO THE RESIGNATION OF JUDITH COLLINS. PLEASE JUMP IN WITH YOUR THOUGHTS BY TEXTING 3330 FOR 50C, EMAILING THE NATION AT TV3.CO.NZ OR WE'RE ON TWITTER OR FACEBOOK AT THENATIONTV3. WELL, IT WAS FINALLY ONE EMAIL TOO MANY. DIRTY POLITICS TURNED THIS ELECTION ON ITS HEAD WHEN IT WAS RELEASED NOT EVEN THREE WEEKS AGO. BUT IT'S ANOTHER EMAIL AND FURTHER SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS INVOLVING BLOGGER CAMERON SLATER THAT DIDN'T FEATURE IN THE HAGER BOOK THAT HAS LEAD TO COLLINS' RESIGNATION. WE'LL TALK TO DAVID CUNLIFFE IN A MINUTE, BUT FIRST, LET'S RECAP HOW IT PLAYED OUT YESTERDAY. JUDITH COLLINS HAS NOW BEEN TAKEN DOWN BYA DEATH BY 1000 CUTS. AS JUDITH AND IARE FRIENDS, IAM GUTTED FOR HER. TODAY I HAVE BEEN SHOWN A COPY OF AN EMAIL BETWEEN CAMERON SLATER AND OTHERS WHERE IAM DISCUSSED AND WHERE IT IS INFERRED, THAT I, AS THE THEN MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE, WAS TRYING TO REMOVE THE THEN DIRECTOR, ADAM FEELEY. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND A MINISTER IS VITAL, AND IT GOES TO THE HEART OF A TRUSTED AND EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT. JUDITH COLLINS DENIES THE CLAIM AND WILL SEEK TO CLEAR HER NAME, BUT LET'S TALK NOW TO DAVID CUNLIFFE. BOTH: GOOD MORNING. WHATS YOUR REACTION TO JUDITH COLLINS' RESIGNATION? WELL, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY SERIOUS. BUT IT IS NOT ISOLATED TO ONE MINISTER; THIS IS PART OF A CULTURE AND A SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN BUILT UP IN THIS GOVERNMENT, JOHN KEY'S GOVERNMENT, THAT HAS GOTTA STOP. THIS IS NOT WHAT NZERS EXPECT OF A GOOD GOVERNMENT. THIS IS NOT THE HIGHER STANDARDS THAT JOHN KEY PROMISED. AND THIS HAS GOT TO BE CLEANED UP NOW. WE NEED A FULL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY WITH IMMEDIATE POWERS TO PROTECT EVIDENCE. THEY MUST MOVE IN UNDER THE STATE SERVICES COMMISSION TO BEGIN INVESTIGATIONS IMMEDIATELY, NOT ONLY INTO THIS MINISTER BUT OTHER MINISTERS AND THEIR STAFF WHO MAY BE INVOLVED IN SIMILAR PRACTICES. THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS HE IS GOING TO TAKE ADVICE ON WHAT KIND OF INQUIRY IS APPROPRIATE. WOULD YOU LIKE WITNESSES TO BE FORCED TO APPEAR? THE INQUIRY, WE ARE SAYING A FULL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY UNDER THE COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRIES ACT 2013 MUST HAVE THE POWER TO SUBPOENA EVIDENCE AND MUST IMMEDIATELY MOVE IN TO PROTECT EVIDENCE, SUCH AS ELECTRONIC RECORDS, FROM THAT MINISTER AND HER STAFF AND OTHER MINISTERS' OFFICES AND THEIR STAFF. SO WOULD TAKE CHARGE OF THAT, THOUGH? I UNDERSTAND THE STATE SERVICES COMMISSION WOULD BE THE ONES WHO WOULD INSTIGATE THAT PROCESS, AND THEY WOULD DO SO INDEPENDENTLY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY. OK. LET'S LOOK MORE CLOSELYAT THIS ALLEGATION THAT SURFACED IN RELATION TO THE FORMER MINISTER JUDITH COLLINS. IT IS THAT MARK HOTCHIN FROM HANOVER FINANCE WAS ALLEGEDLY PAYING WHALEOIL TO UNDERMINE ADAM FEELEY, WHO WAS THE HEAD OF THE SFO AT THE TIME. EVEN THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER STUFF THAT HAS COME OUT INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. THIS, HE SAYS, IS IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN. SO HE DOES HAVE STANDARDS, AND HE'S MOVED ON THEM. WELL, SHE SHOULD'VE BEEN GONE MONTHS AGO. LET'S REFLECT ON THREE BROAD GROUPS OF ISSUES IN WHICH THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE HAS BEEN INVOLVED. THE FIRST WAS THE VERY SERIOUS SET OF ISSUES AROUND ORAVIDA, AN UNDECLARED CONFLICT OF INTEREST INVOLVING HER FAMILY, INVOLVING MAJOR DONATIONS TO THE NATIONAL PARTY. IT WAS RULED A PERCEIVED CONFLICT OF INTEREST. AND INVOLVING AN UNNAMED SENIOR CHINESE BORDER OFFICIAL WHO THE PRIME MINISTER STILL WON'T NAME. NOR WILL THE PRIME MINISTER YET RELEASE THE DOCUMENTS WHICH HE SAYS, FROM THE CABINET OFFICE, EXONERATE THE MINISTER. I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT NOW, BUT THAT'S ONE SET OF ISSUES THAT I WOULD HAVE CALLED AS A RESIGNATION ISSUE MONTHS AGO. THE SECOND SET OF ISSUES WERE IN MR HAGER'S BOOK ABOUT DIRTY POLITICS, A SUBJECT MOST NZERS HAVE HAD A GUTSFUL OF AND SO HAVE WE, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE CLEARED UP. NOW, THIS INVOLVED THE SAME MINISTER ATTACKING A PUBLIC SERVANT, SIMON PLEASANTS, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ALLEGED- MINISTER ATTACKING A PUBLIC SERVANT, SIMON PLEASANTS, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ALLEGED- SHE DIDN'TA'I'I'ACK HIM DIRECTLY. WHALE OIL DID. SHE USED A BLOG, THIS WHALEOIL BLOG, WHICH REPRESENTS ABOUT THE LOWEST OF THE LOW IN POLITICS. AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD CONTINUE IN NZ POLITICS. IT WOULD NOT IN ANY WAY- THE EQUIVALENT WOULD NOT BE PART OF ANY GOVERNMENT THAT I LEAD, AND WE NEED A PROPER PROCESS, A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, TO BEGIN THE CLEAN-UP. WHAT OTHER MINISTERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN FEEDING MATERIAL TO THAT BLOG? WHAT OTHER STAFF HAVE BEEN INVOLVED? JUDITH COLLINS IS ABSOLUTELY DEFIANT. SHE SAYS THAT SHE'S STANDING DOWN FROM MINISTERIAL PORTFOLIOS IN ORDER THAT SHE CAN CLEAR HER NAME. AND WE HAVE A BASIC PRINCIPLE IN THIS COUNTRY - INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. LOOK, I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING A FULL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. BUTASK THE PRIME MINSTER, BECAUSE HE'S JUST SAID YESTERDAY THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE COMING BACK ANY TIME SOON AS A MINISTER IN THE CABINET POST-ELECTIONS. SO NOT ONLY HAS SHE BEEN STOOD DOWN PENDING AN INVESTIGATION; HE'S BASICALLY RULED A LINE AND SAID, 'THIS IS SERIOUS ENOUGH NOW. SHE HAS NO FUTURE AS A MINISTER.' WHY DIDN'T HE SAY THAT MONTHS AGO? NOW, ON THE SPECIFICS OF THIS ISSUE- ON YOUR ISSUE OF THE INQUIRY, I'M WONDERING, IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, ARE YOU GONNA MAKE YOUR OWN MPS AVAILABLE? ARE YOU GOING TO BE AN OPEN BOOK IN TERMS OF PERHAPS WHETHER LABOUR HAS LEAKED INFORMATION? IF THERE IS A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, OF COURSE WE WOULD COOPERATE FULLY WITH IT - FULLY WITH IT. I DO NOT BELIEVE ALL PARTIES ARE THE SAME. CAMERON SLATER ALLEGES THAT LABOUR HAS LEAKED INFORMATION TO HIM AS WELL. WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE THINKS HE'S GOT, AND THAT'S A MATTER FOR HIM, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON THE LEFT OF POLITICS WHICH COMES CLOSE TO THE KIND OF OPERATION THAT HE HAS AND THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OWN STAFF, MR EDE, HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN, WHO'S STILL ON THE NATIONAL PARTY PAYROLL, THAT MRS COLLINS HAS BEEN IN REGULAR TOUCH WITH AND, CLEARLY, MINISTER ADAMS HAS ALSO BEEN FEEDING MATERIAL TO THROUGH MRS COLLINS' OFFICE. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN NZ POLITICS. OK, WELL, WE ARE A WHISKER AWAY FROM AN ELECTION, SO WHY WOULD SOMEONE CHANGE THEIR VOTE ON THE BASIS OF THIS NOW? THE PRIME MINISTER HAS DITCHED JUDITH COLLINS. BECAUSE LABOUR OFFERS A DIFFERENT KIND OF GOVERNMENT, A DIFFERENT KIND OF GOVERNMENT, WHERE WE HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARDS. I WILL NOT LEAD A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS THE EQUIVALENT OF A WHALEOIL BLOG BEING FED BY MINISTERS IN MY CABINET. BUT JOHN KEY HAS MADE THAT STANCE AS WELL BECAUSE HE'S GOT RID OF JUDITH COLLINS AS A MINSTER. IT HAS TAKEN HIM MONTHS, ABSOLUTE MONTHS, UNTILAN EMAIL EMERGES WHICH SAYS THAT THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE WAS CONNMNG TO REMOVE THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF A REGULATORY AGENCY WHEN THE BLOG THAT SHE IS IN TOUCH WITH IS BEING PAID BY SOMEONE WHO WAS SUBJECT TO THAT REGULATORS ATFENTION. NOW, THAT JUST CANNOT STAND IN A DEMOCRACY. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WORD FOR THAT, IF THE ALLEGATIONS ARE CORRECT. WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS EMAIL, WHICH IS ALLEGEDLY FROM CAMERON SLATER AND TWO OTHER OF HIS MATES, IF YOU LIKE. HE MAKES THE ALLEGATION THAT THEY'RE GUNNING-AND SHE IS GUNNING- THE MINISTER AT THE TIME IS GUNNING FOR FEELEY. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT? WELL, AS YOU SAY, THAT'S AN ALLEGATION, AND THATS WHY WE NEED A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY WITH ROBUST POWERS TO INVESTIGATE. BUT IF THAT IS TRUE, THEN WE JUST NEED TO REFLECT UPON THE IMPLICATIONS. THIS IS THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE INVESTIGATING PEOPLE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE PROVIDING MONEY TO THE WHALEOIL BLOG TO TAKE OUT THE HEAD OF THE REGULATORY AGENCY THAT IS INVESTIGATING THEM. WELL, THAT'S BAD ENOUGH, BUT TO IMAGINE THAT THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE IS PERSONALLY INVOLVED OR COMPLICIT BEGGARS BELIEF. BUT MY POINT IS- JUSTICE IS PERSONALLY INVOLVED OR COMPLICIT BEGGARS BELIEF. BUT MY POINT IS- UP UNTIL THIS POINT, THE PRIME MINISTER HAS DENIED, DENIED, DENIED. 'IT'S A LEFT-WING CONSPIRACY,' HE SAYS. 'THERE'S NO SUBSTANCE.' I THINK HE SAID IT WAS DISSOLVING BEFORE MR HAGER'S EYES. WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE HIM? BECAUSE HE'S GIVEN CREDENCE TO THIS. APPARENTLY THIS EMAIL DIDN'T COME FROM-ACCORDING TO THE PRIME MINISTER, FROM PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE HAGER BOOK. HE HASN'T YET SAID WHO HE GOT IT FROM. AND THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER QUESTION THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WILL NEED TO ANSWER AS WELLAS 'WHEN DID HE FIRST LEARN ABOUT THESE ALLEGATIONS? AND WHAT IS HE GONNA DO ABOUT THE INQUIRY?' THOSE ARE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. ABOUT THESE ALLEGATIONS? AND WHAT IS HE GONNA DO ABOUT THE INQUIRY?' THOSE ARE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. IT WAS SUPPLIED IN CONFIDENCE TO HIM BYA BEEHIVE STAFFER, IS WHAT HE IS SAYING. SO THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING. THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING, COS IT DIDN'T COME FROM AVAST LEFT-WING CONSPIRACY. WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE HIM, THEN, GENERALLY SPEAKING? THATS BEEN HIS DEFENCE. THAT LEAVES HIM LEADING A GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS A CULTURE OF CONNIVANCE WITH THE WHALEOIL BLOG, AND HE HAS LED THAT. HE HIMSELF HAS BEEN PERSONALLY INVOLVED BECAUSE HE SPEAK REGULARLY TO CAMERON SLATER. HIS STAFF HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. HE HAS HUGE, MASSIVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER. AND, FRANKLY, IT MAY NOW BE TOO LATE FOR HIM, BECAUSE I THINK NZERS HAVE HAD A GUTSFUL OF THIS KIND OF POLITICS, AND THEY WANTA FRESH START, AND WHAT I'M SAYING TO NZERS IS, YOU WILL GETA FRESH START UNDERA GOVERNMENT THAT I LEAD, WORKING WITH OTHER PARTIES. WE WILL HAVE A BETTER KIND OF POLITICS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE RUNNING A VOTE POSITIVE CAMPAIGN. AND THEY WILL BE THE JUDGE OF THATAT THE POLLS. A VOTE POSITIVE CAMPAIGN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING ME THIS MORNING, LABOUR LEADER DAVID CUNLIFFE. THANK YOU. FASCINATING STUFF FROM DAVID CUNLIFFE THERE. NOW, IAM JOINED BY THE GREEN CO-LEADER METIRIA TUREI. GOOD MORNING. KIA ORA. NOW, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL THIS? JUDITH COLLINS, GONE. WELL, CLEARLY THE NATIONAL PARTY IS IN COMPLETE CHAOS. JOHN KEY'S CAMPAIGN IS IN TOTAL DISARRAY. IT'S GOOD THAT SHE'S GONE. SHE SHOULD HAVE GONE A LONG TIME AGO, BUT THIS IS A CLEAR FAILURE ON THE PART OF JOHN KEY. AND LET'S LOOK AT THE WAY THAT IT'S HAPPENED, BECAUSE WHAT IS CRUCIAL HERE IS THAT EMAIL THAT HE IS RELYING ON IN TERMS OF MAKING THOSE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE DIRECTOR AND A CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIM HAS NOT COME FROM A HACKER. IT HAS NOT COME FROM WHALEDUMP. THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT HAS COME, ESSENTIALLY, TO THEM FROM A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE. DOES THIS MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT'S A JACK-UP? IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT MIGHT BE FROM INSIDE THE NATIONAL PARTY. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN, AGAIN, IT SHOWS JUST HOW CHAOTIC THE ORGANISATION IS, HOW IRRESPONSIBLE THEYARE. REALLY, THEY MUSTN'T BE RUNNING THE COUNTRY. I THINK THAT THE REAL ISSUE NOW IS WHAT WILL JOHN KEY DO ABOUT THE REST OF THE ALLEGATIONS NOW THAT THIS ONE HAS COME FORWARD AND HE'S SACKED JUDITH COLLINS? THE OTHER ALLEGATIONS IN THE DIRTY POLITICS BOOK ARE VERY REAL, AND THEY ALSO NEED TO BE PROPERLY INVESTIGATED. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY JOHN KEY YET, AND THEY STILL NEED TO BECAUSE HIS OFFICE IS PARTICULARLY IMPLICATED IN THE SAME KIND OF DIRTY POLITICS THAT JUDITH COLLINS IS IMPLICATED IN. YEAH, COS YOU RAISE AN INTERESTING POINT THERE, BECAUSE HERE HE IS RELYING ON AN EMAIL TO, ESSENTIALLY, GET RID OF JUDITH COLLINS, BUTAT THE SAME TIME, HE'S DISMISSED ALL THE OTHER EVIDENCE THAT'S BASED ON EMAILS, ON CAMERON SLATER'S EMAILS AS WELL. WELL, THAT'S RIGHT, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR JUSTIFICATION, THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS ALLEGED TO BE TRYING TO CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR ONE OF HER OWN MINISTERIAL STAFF, WELL, THE SIMON PLEASANTS CASE IS ACTUALLY MUCH MORE SERIOUS. SHE DID ADMIT TO GMNG AWAY HIS PRIVATE INFORMATION AND BEING ENGAGED IN THAT SMEAR CAMPAIGN. YET JOHN KEY TOOK NO ACTION OVER THAT. NOW, THERE'S NO- SIMON PLEASANTS IS JUST AS IMPORTANTA PUBLIC SERVANT AS ANY OTHER AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROTECTED BY THE PRIME MINSTER. HE SHOULD'VE TAKEN THAT ALLEGATION SERIOUSLY AT THE TIME, AND HE DIDN'T. HERE WE HAVE SOME POLLS THIS WEEK, INCLUDING THE 3 NEWS REID RESEARCH POLL THAT SHOWED 63% OF VOTERS WANTED JUDITH COLLINS STOOD DOWN. DO YOU THINK THE PRIME MINISTER IS MAYBE MORE LIKELY REACTING TO THAT AND HAS COME UP WITH AN EXCUSE TO GET RID OF HER? I THINK THAT IS THE CASE. WE ARE THREE WEEKS OUT FROM ELECTION DAY. THERE HAS BEEN GREAT PUBLIC OUTRAGE ABOUT JUDITH COLLINS AND THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HER AND HIS FAILURE TO DEAL WITH THOSE ALLEGATIONS AND HER, SO I THINK HE IS RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC. HE'S CAMPAIGNING; HE'S NOT BEHAVING LIKE A PRIME MINISTER. A PRIME MINISTER WOULD TAKE THIS ISSUE MUCH MORE SERIOUSLY-ALL OF THE ALLEGATIONS. OK, AND VERY QUICKLY NOW, AN INQUIRY - YOU'VE ALREADY LAUNCHED SOME INQUIRIES OF YOUR OWN OR GOT SOME INQUIRIES LAUNCHED. DO WE NEED SOMETHING MORE WIDE-RANGING? WHAT KIND OF POWERS DOES IT NEED? WE NEED A ROYAL COMMISSION TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE ALLEGATIONS. WE NEED THE STATE SERVICES COMMISSION TO COME IN AND PRESERVE THE EVIDENCE THAT IS IN JUDITH COLLINS' OFFICE AND IN JOHN KEY'S OFFICE, GIVEN THE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT HIM AND HIS STAFF. WE NEED A RANGE OF AGENCIES TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. BUT WE WILL ONLY GET A ROYAL COMMISSION IF WE HAVE A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT, SO ON ELECTION DAY, NZERS NEED TO CHOOSE - DO THEY WANT THE DIRTY POLITICS OF JOHN KEYAND JUDITH COLLINS, OR DO THEY WANT CLEAN POLITICS FROM A NEW, PROGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT? METIRIA TUREI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. BACK TO YOU, LISA. AND JOINING ME NOW IN THE STUDIO IS NZ FIRST LEADER WINSTON PETERS. MR PETERS, WHY DO YOU THINK THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ACCEPTED JUDITH COLLINS' RESIGNATION NOW? WHY NOW? BECAUSE THEY'RE HAEMORRHAGING IN THE POLLS. THERE'S SERIOUS PUBLIC CONCERN DEEP IN THE NATIONAL PARTY AS WELL. IT'S NOT THIS EMAIL, OF COURSE, COS WHEN ASKED AFTER THE INQUIRY IF SHE'S CLEARED, WILL SHE BE BACK IN CABINET, HE SAID NO, WHICH TELLS YOU IT'S NOT THIS HE'S ACTING ON BUT THE ALLEGATIONS MADE THE OTHER DAY WITH RESPECT TO HER DISLOYALTY. SO YOU THINK THAT YOUR COMING OUT PUBLICLY SAYING YOU WERE APPROACHED BYA 'BAGMAN' OF JUDITH COLLINS ASKING IF YOU COULD WORK WITH HER, YOU THINK THAT WAS THE NAIL IN HER COFFIN? WELL, THE PRIME MINISTER LOOKED DEEPLY SHOCKED WHEN HE WAS ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THAT. AND, AGAIN, IF SHE'S NOT GOING TO BE PUT BACK IN CABINET BECAUSE OF THIS CLEARANCE, IF SHE DOES GET CLEARED, IT TELLS YOU THAT THAT'S NOT THE EVIDENCE HE'S WORKING ON. HE'S WORKING ON THE OTHER MATTER. THE PRIME MINISTER DID SAY THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT SHE CAN'T EVER COME BACK. NO, BUT IF SOMEONE IS INVESTIGATED AND IS EXONERATED, THEY ARE SURELY ENTITLED TO BE BACK IN THE POSITION THEY WERE BEFORE THE ALLEGATIONS WERE MADE. HOW CAN HE EXPLAIN THAT AWAY? BUT HE GAVE THE GAME AWAY OR LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, AND IT SHOWS THAT HE SHOULD HAVE ACTED A LONG, LONG TIME AGO. WE KNOW THAT THIS PIECE OF INFORMATION, THE EMAIL, THE ALLEGEDLY INCRIMINATING EMAIL, WAS PASSED FROM A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE TO A BEEHIVE STAFFER. IT DIDN'T COME FROM A HACKER. SO WHAT DOES THIS TELL US? IS THERE SOME GOINGS-ON IN THE RIGHT? ARE THEY TRYING TO GET RID OF THEIR OWN - JUDITH COLLINS? WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT? THE MOST LIKELY INFERENCE IS THAT SOMEONE OUT THERE SAID, 'LOOK, SHE HAS GOT TO GO 'AND THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD USE TO MAKE HER GO.' I MEAN, THIS WAS A PRE-ARRANGED JUMP BEFORE SHE GOT PUSHED. AND THIS IS THE EXCUSE. SO IT'S MOST RARE OR UNUSUAL THAT THEY DIDN'T GO TO THE MEDIA, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE HAS BEEN DOING. THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE NUMBER ONE PERSON - THE PRIME MINISTER. DO YOU THINK THAT, ACTUALLY, THE NATIONAL PARTY LEADERSHIP HAS ORCHESTRATED THIS? YES, I DO. < JOHN KEY GETTING RID OF HER? NO, I CAN'T SAY THAT, BUT THE UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES POINT TO THAT CONCLUSION. LABOUR IS CALLING FOR AN INQUIRY, ONE WHERE WITNESSES CAN BE COMPELLED TO APPEAR. NZ FIRST CALLED FOR AN INQUIRYA LONG TIME AGO - A FULL-SCALE ROYAL COMMISSION WITH A RESPECTABLE COMMISSIONER WITH TERMS OF REFERENCE, NOT JUST FOR THESE MATTERS BUT TO THE DIRTY UNDERHAND BEHAVIOUR THAT WAS GOING ON WITH TAXPAYERS' MONEY. SO YOU WOULD SUPPORT THAT, OBVIOUSLY. WOULD YOU PRESENT YOURSELF FOR QUESTIONING? WOULD YOU LET YOUR PEOPLE APPEAR BEFORE SUCH AN INQUIRY? WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE THAT? WELL, I'M NOT TURNING UP TO AN INQUIRY WHICH DOESN'T INVOLVE ME IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. I HAVE NOT PLAYED DIRTY POLITICS. NO, BUT THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN YOUR ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE BAGMAN. YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD A WITNESS. YEAH, BUT THAT'S NOT A DIRTY POLITICS ALLEGATION, THAT'S- IF THEY NEED TO TALK TO YOU, WILL YOU-? BUT DO YOU GET MY POINT, THOUGH? ON THE DIRTY POLITICS IN WHICH I WAS A VICTIM, COS I'M IN THE BOOK BEING- I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IF THE INQUIRY FEELS A NEED TO TALK TO YOU TO VERIFY INFORMATION OR GET AN ACCOUNT FROM YOU, WILL YOU BE HAPPY ENOUGH TO DO THAT? IF IT IS RELEVANT, OF COURSE I WILL TURN UP. OK. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS SAYS ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARTY'S EFFORT, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE A SITUATION WHERE JUDITH COLLINS WAS CALLING YOU A LIAR, JOHN KEY SAID YOU WERE MAKING NUTFYALLEGATIONS; YOU, POTENTIALLY, COULD BE WORKING WITH THIS PARTY. IS THAT STILLA POSSIBILITY GIVEN HOW THEY'RE DESCRIBING YOU AND WHAT'S HAPPENED? WELL, HE'S NOT SAYING I'M A LIAR TODAY, IS HE? 24 HOURS LATER, HE'S CHANGED HIS MIND. SO YOU'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THEM? TODAY, IS HE? 24 HOURS LATER, HE'S CHANGED HIS MIND. SO YOU'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THEM? NO, YOU'RE SLIDING PAST THE REAL ISSUE HERE. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? NZ FIRSTS POSITION'S ALWAYS BEEN WE WANT TO HEAR EVERY ASPECT OF THIS CAMPAIGN FROM EVERY PARTY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE JUDGEMENT, AND THIS EXPLOSIVE EVIDENCE IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR DAYS AND THIS ACTION TODAY IS PART OF THAT, AND THE PUBLIC OUT THERE NEED TO KNOW AS WELL THAT THEY NEED THE INFORMATION ALL THE WAY UP TO ELECTION EVE, ON WHICH THEY CAN MAKE JUDGEMENTS. OTHERWISE, WHY BOTHER TO CAMPAIGN? LET ME PUT IT ANOTHER WAY - DOES THE FACT THAT JUDITH COLLINS IS NO LONGER A MINISTER AND WON'T BE A MINISTER, IF NATIONAL IS IN GOVERNMENTAFTER THE ELECTION, DOES IT MAKE IT EASIER OR HARDER FOR YOU TO WORK WITH NATIONAL? I SAID SOME TIME AGO THAT WE FACE A TERRIBLY DIFFICULT DECISION HERE BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON ON ONE SIDE OF POLITICS AND THE IRRESPONSIBILITY IN TERMS OF BUDGETING AND PROMISES ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND THEN THERE'S THE OVERLAY OF THREE POLITICAL PARTIES, THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, THE NATIONAL PARTY AND THE MANA-DOTCOM PARTY HAVING ALL THESE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THROWING IT ATA CAMPAIGN AS THOUGH THEY CAN WIN BY BUYING THE VOTE. NOW, THAT IS NOT THE WAY NZ SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED IN TERMS OF DEMOCRACY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN IT SO, HOW SHALL I SAY, WELL, JUST CHEAP, NASTY, AND IN TERMS OF PRINCIPLE AND POLICY, THEY HAVE BEEN SO SIDELINED. AND THATS THE SAD THING ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN. WE MAY GO TO ELECTION DAY WITHOUT HEARING THE KEY ISSUES IN THIS ELECTION. JUDITH COLLINS, WE SHOULDN'T FORGET, SAYS THAT SHE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG AND THAT SHE'S STOOD DOWN AS A MINSTER SO SHE CAN PROPERLY DEFEND HERSELF. WE DO HAVE THE PRINCIPLE 'INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY'. SHE COULD COME BACK FROM THIS. SHE DIDN'T STAND DOWN; SHE GOT PUSHED. BUT SHE JUMPED BEFORE THAT HAPPENED. THIS IS A CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL ON HER OWN PART. AND, NO, SHE CAN SAY ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT THE ORAVIDA SCANDAL IS DEEPLY IMPLICATORY, AND IF THERE HAD BEEN AN INQUIRY INTO THAT, SHE WOULD NEVER HAVE SURVIVED IT. ALL RIGHT, THANKS FOR JOINING ME THIS MORNING, NZ FIRST LEADER WINSTON PETERS. NOW, JUST AHEAD - THE HOUSING DEBATE. NICK SMITH AND PHIL TVVYFORD ON HOUSE PRICES, FOREIGN OWNERSHIP AND THEIR PROMISES TO FIRST-HOME BUYERS. HOME OWNERSHIP IS AT THE LOWEST LEVEL IN HALF A CENTURY. NATIONAL'S ANSWER IS TO DOUBLE SUBSIDIES TO FIRST-HOME BUYERS AND LET THEM RAID THEIR KIWISAVER ACCOUNT. LABOUR WANTS TO BUILD 100,000 HOMES IN 10 YEARS. SO IS EITHERA RECIPE FOR SUCCESS? I'M JOINED NOW BY NATIONAL'S HOUSING SPOKESPERSON, NICK SMITH, AND LABOUR'S PHIL TWYFORD. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, GUYS. IF I COULD START WITH YOU, NICK SMITH, AND NATIONAL'S POLICY THIS WEEK. THE BAR SET AT $550,000 FOR A HOME IN AUCKLAND. IS THAT WHAT WE'VE COME TO? IS $550,000 THE PRICE OF AN AFFORDABLE HOME? NO, THAT'S THE MAXIMUM THAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIR EXTRA KIWISAVER GRANT. OK, SO WHAT IN YOUR VIEW, THEN-? WHAT IN YOUR VIEW IS THE PRICE OF AN AFFORDABLE HOME? WELL, IT DEPENDS. IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF ARE THEY A TWO-INCOME HOUSEHOLD, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE HOUSE. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE BUILDING IN WEYMOUTH AT THAT NEW PROJECT, WE'VE GOT HOUSES THERE GOING FOR ABOUT $460,000, AND I THINK THAT'S WITHIN REACH. SO WHAT'S AN AFFORDABLE HOME IN AUCKLAND? WHAT'S THE PRICE? WELL, WE'VE GOT $460,000 THROUGH THAT PROJECT THAT THE GOVERNMENTS GOT UPAND RUNNING IN THAT FIRST SPECIAL HOUSING AREA. THAT PROJECT THAT THE GOVERNMENTS GOT UP AND RUNNING IN THAT FIRST SPECIAL HOUSING AREA. PHIL TWYFORD, WHAT'S THE PRICE OF AN AFFORDABLE HOME IN AUCKLAND? WELL, I THINK AN AFFORDABLE HOME WOULD BE IN THE RANGE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DELIVERING THROUGH OUR KIWIBUILD PROGRAMME, AND THATS BETWEEN ABOUT $360,000 AND $480,000. SO THAT'S THE KIND OF BRACKET THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT. PADDY, WE HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS. AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES IN AUCKLAND HAVE GONE UP $75,000 IN THE LAST YEAR. IT NOW TAKES 5O YEARS TO PAY OFF THE AVERAGE MORTGAGE. PEOPLE ARE MORTGAGED TO THEIR EYEBALLS, AND NOW WITH INTEREST RATES HEADING NORTH OF 8%, THEY'RE GETTING ABSOLUTELY WHACKED AROUND THE EARS. AND THE BEST THAT THIS GOVERNMENT CAN DO IS THROW HUNDRED-DOLLAR BILLS ON THE BONFIRE OF THE AUCKLAND HOUSING MARKET- HERE'S THE HYPOCRISY. ON THE BONFIRE OF THE AUCKLAND HOUSING MARKET- HERE'S THE HYPOCRISY. ...FORA POLICY THAT HAS BEEN PANNED BY ALL THE ANALYSTS AND ALL THE CRITICS BECAUSE IT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE HOUSES LESS AFFORDABLE. THAT'S THE POLICY THEY JUST ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK. LET'S FIRSTLY DEAL WITH THE HYPOCRISY. IN 2006, HOUSE PRICES WENT UP BY 28% IN A SINGLE YEAR. THEY DOUBLED OVER LABOUR'S PERIOD IN GOVERNMENT, AND THEY SAID, 'OH, THAT'S NOT A CRISIS.' THEY GO UP BY 12% IN THE LAST YEAR- OR 8%- 12% IN AUCKLAND, 8% NATIONALLY, AND SUDDENLY IT'S A CRISIS. SECOND, WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? IT'S LAND SUPPLY. IT'S DEALING WITH BUILDING MATERIALS COSTS. IT'S PROVIDING EXTRA SUPPORT FOR FIRST-HOME BUYERS. IT'S DEALING WITH THOSE VERY EXPENSIVE CHARGES FROM COUNCIL. AND WE HAVE PASSED MORE LEGISLATION IN THE LAST YEAR ON HOUSING THAN IN 25 YEARS, AND IT'S MAKING A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE. LET'S TALK NOWABOUT ONE OF YOUR SOLUTIONS, WHICH IS THE HOMESTART GRANTS. I WANT TO TAKE YOUR OWN EXAMPLE, IF WE CAN TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN EXAMPLE? A COUPLE IN AUCKLAND EARNING 5O KAYEAR, BOTH OF THEM. THEY'VE BEEN IN KIWISAVER FOR FIVE YEARS. THEY WITHDRAW 35,000 FROM KIWISAVER AND GET 20,000 BUCKS FORA NEW GRANT FOR A NEW HOME OUT IN HOBSONVILLE OR WHATEVER. THAT GIVES THEM 55 K. YOU GET THE WELCOME HOME LOAN - 10% DEPOSIT. OK, YOU FOLLOWING? YOU GET A HOUSE WORTH $550,000. WELCOME HOME LOAN - 10% DEPOSIT. BUT, NO, LET'S TAKE ONE WITH 550, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING FOR. THAT'S YOUR POLICY. NO, THAT'S THE MAXIMUM. BECAUSE EVERY PERSON'S CIRCUMSTANCES ARE DIFFERENT. WE'RE WORKING WITH 550. THAT'S AT THE TOP END. THAT'S THE EXTREME. UNDER THAT SCENARIO, AT 6.5% INTEREST, THEY'RE SPENDING 47% OF THEIR TAKE-HOME PAY ON THE MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS. THEY'RE SPENDING 47% OF THEIR YOU KNOW WHEN I GOT MY FIRST HOME? REPAYMENTS. THEY'RE SPENDING 47% OF THEIR YOU KNOW WHEN I GOT MY FIRST HOME? AND THEY'RE PAYING 835- WHEN I GOT MY FIRST HOME, I WAS SPENDING 70% OF MY INCOME ON MY INTEREST REPAYMENTS. SO IS THATA GOOD TARGET - 70%? NO, IT'S NOT. I'M SAYING HOMEOWNERSHIP'S ALWAYS BEEN TOUGH. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A STRETCH, BUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING WILL MAKE IT EASIER. YOU KNOW THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THOSE NUMBERS? THE INTEREST RATE. WHEN WE CAME TO GOVERNMENT, INTEREST RATES WERE 11%. I'LL TELL YOU THIS, PADDY, EVERY LABOUR GOVERNMENT, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, INTEREST RATES HAVE GONE UP. EVERY NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, THEY COME DOWN. THE ECONOMY GROWS UNDER LABOUR. EVERY NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, THEY COME DOWN. THE ECONOMY GROWS UNDER LABOUR. SO INTEREST RATES HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN HIGHER UNDER EVERY LABOUR GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY SPEND TOO MUCH. CONSISTENTLY BEEN HIGHER UNDER EVERY LABOUR GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY SPEND TOO MUCH. THE IMPORTANT NUMBER IS $335 AWEEK, ALMOST HALF OF THE TAKE-HOME PAY FOR A YOUNG COUPLE. WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE PUTTING PEOPLE INTO HOMES THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE REPAYMENTS FOR. THE OECD SAYS IT SHOULD ONLY BE 30% OF A TAKE-HOME INCOME. AND THAT IS WHY THE OTHER PART OF THE POLICY IS ABOUT BUILDING NEW HOUSES THAT ARE IN A MORE AFFORDABLE RANGE BY FREEING UP LAND SUPPLYAND DOING THOSE OTHER IMPORTANT REFORMS. YOU KNOW, PADDY, WE HAVE DOUBLED THE RATE OF NEW BUILDS, SO WE HAD THE BUILDING CONSENT FIGURES OUT YESTERDAY, WE HAVE GOT- THE RATE OF NEW BUILDS, 2200 HOUSES BEING BUILT. FIGURES OUT YESTERDAY, WE HAVE GOT- THE RATE OF NEW BUILDS, 2200 HOUSES BEING BUILT. WE'LL COME TO THAT. BUT LET'S STAY ON THE HOMESTART POLICY. WE'VE GOTTA GET HOUSES THAT ARE MORE AFFORDABLE SO THAT THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE PICKING UP THAT HOMESTART GRANT CAN GET IN ATA REASONABLE LEVEL. TREASURY ADVISED AGAINST THIS POLICY BECAUSE IT FAILED IN AUSTRALIA. GET IN ATA REASONABLE LEVEL. TREASURY ADVISED AGAINST THIS POLICY BECAUSE IT FAILED IN AUSTRALIA. NO, THEY DIDN'T. IT MADE MATTERS WORSE, AND IT DROVE HOUSE PRICES UP. TREASURY SAID THAT IT FORCED YOUNG COUPLES TO DEFAULT. WHAT THEY DID IN AUSTRALIA- TREASURY SAID THAT IT FORCED YOUNG COUPLES TO DEFAULT. WHAT THEY DID IN AUSTRALIA- NICK SMITH, TAKE THIS - IF YOU'RE ON THIS, YOU'RE PAYING $835 AWEEK. ONE OF THE COUPLES GETS SICK; ONE GETS PREGNANT; ONE LOSES A JOB. HOW DO THEY KEEP UP WITH THOSE THINGS WITHOUT DEFAULTING? BECAUSE THATS WHAT YOUR OWN ADVICE THAT YOU INITIALLY TOOK ACTUALLY TOLD YOU, THAT PEOPLE WOULD DEFAULT ON THIS. HERE'S THE KEY PART - THE EXTRA DEPOSIT SUPPORT IS ONLY FOR NEW HOUSES. NOW, I'D ACCEPT YOUR POINT, PADDY, THAT IF YOU WERE JUST SIMPLY THROWING NEW GRANTS FOR EXISTING HOUSES, THE RISK IS IT JUST FEEDS THE HOUSE PRICE BUBBLE, BUT WE'VE DELIBERATELY TARGETED THIS NEW MONEY TO NEW HOUSES AND TO LOWER-INCOME HOUSES COS THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. PADDY, LET ME SAY THIS - THEY PUT UP $218M. THEY THINK THAT 90,000 PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THAT. THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF $2500 PER PERSON BENEFITING. THAT'S NOT GONNA MAKE A BLIND BIT OF DIFFERENCE TO STIMULATING THE NEW HOME BUILDS THAT ARE SO DESPERATELY NEEDED. THIS IS A PANICKED POLICY THREE WEEKS OUT FROM AN ELECTION. THAT ARE SO DESPERATELY NEEDED. THIS THEY ARE PANICKING. FROM AN ELECTION. THAT ARE SO DESPERATELY NEEDED. THIS THEY ARE PANICKING. THE NUMBERS ARE RUBBISH. THIS IS THE BIGGEST BLOCK OF SUPPORT THAT GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN TO FIRST-HOME BUYERS. AND IT WILL MAKE MATTERS WORSE. IT'S PETROL ON A FIRE. EXACTLY. AND IT WILL MAKE MATTERS WORSE. IT'S PETROL ON A FIRE. EXACTLY. NO, IT'S NOT, BECAUSE THE MONEY IS GOING TO NEW BUILDS. BUT YOU'VE GOT NO GUARANTEES ON THAT. YOU'RE HOPING IT GOES TO NEW BUILDS. YOU SAY THERE'S NO GUARANTEE. THE 20 GRAND GRANT IS ONLY FOR NEW HOMES. THATS A GUARANTEE. YEAH, BUT WHAT IF PEOPLE DON'T TAKE UP THE 2O GRAND GRANT AND THEY TAKE UP THE 10 GRAND GRANT AND THEY FUEL WHAT'S ALREADY THERE? THERE'S NO CONTROLS, NICK SMITH. WELL, IF THATS ALL YOU WERE DOING, YOUR CRITICISM WOULD BE FAIR, BUT OF COURSE IT'S NOT. YOU KNOW, THOSE 63 SPECIAL HOUSING AREAS, THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE IN GETTING THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. AND HOW MANY HOUSES HAVE THEY DELIVERED, NICK? IN GETTING THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. AND HOW MANY HOUSES HAVE THEY DELIVERED, NICK? WELL, LET'S COME TO THAT. NO, WE'LL COME TO THAT LATER. FIRST I WANTA QUICK-FIRE QUESTION FROM THE TWO OF YOU. NICK SMITH, HOW MUCH DID YOUR FIRST HOUSE COST? MY FIRST HOUSE WAS AN EX-STATE HOUSE IN CHRISTCHURCH. I THINK IT WAS 27 GRAND, AND I WAS PAYING 21% INTEREST. AND YOU WERE PAYING 70% OF YOUR INCOME, YOU TOLD US EARLIER. YEAH, I WAS. IT WAS A REAL STRUGGLE. I REMEMBER IT BACKWARDS. AND, LOOK, LET'S BE HONEST. HOME OWNERSHIP HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRUGGLE, BUT, BY GOODNESS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET PEOPLE ON THAT FIRST RUNG. IT'S GOT WORSE UNDER YOUR GOVERNMENT. HOW MUCH WAS YOUR FIRST HOUSE? $125,000 IN 1989. AND MY SONS' GENERATION, IF THEY CHOOSE TO LIVE IN AUCKLAND, THEY WILL NEVER HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY UNDER THE POLICY SETTINGS OF NICK'S GOVERNMENT. THEY WILL NEVER HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE THE KIWI DREAM OF HOME-OWNERSHIP IS DEAD UNDER NATIONAL BECAUSE THEY STAND ON THE SIDE OF SPECULATORS. NO, THAT'S SIMPLY UNTRUE. SIDE OF SPECULATORS. NO, THAT'S SIMPLY UNTRUE. THAT'S TRUE. IT'S JUST RHETORIC. NOW, LET'S JUST COME TO THE INDEPENDENT MEASURES. MASSEY UNIVERSITY- NO, WHAT WE'LL TURN TO NOW IS KIWIBUILD. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THEIR POLICY. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS 20% TO 30% BETTER THAN WHEN WE BECAME GOVERNMENT, AND THEYARE THE FACTS. WE'LL TURN NOW TO KIWIBUILD - 100,000 HOMES IN 10 YEARS. IT'S A PIPE DREAM. 100,000 HOMES IN 10 YEARS. IT'S A PIPE DREAM. 100,000 HOMES IN 10 YEARS. IT'S LIKE JELLY; IT KEEPS CHANGING ALL THE TIME. YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY FIRST ANNOUNCED IT, THEY SAID, '100,000 HOMES, $300,000 EACH.' THEN THEY CHANGED IT TO $360,000. WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO BUILD 10,000- THEN THEY CHANGED IT TO $360,000. WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO BUILD 10,000- AND THEN I SEE DAVID CUNLIFFE- NICK, IT'S MY TURN TO EXPLAIN MY POLICY. NO, I'LL ASK THIS QUESTION FOR YOU, PHIL TWYFORD - WHEN WILL THE FIRST HOME BE BUILT? WHEN WILL THE FIRST FAMILY MOVE IN? TELL THE VOTERS. WHEN WILL THE FIRST FAMILY MOVE IN IF LABOUR GETS INTO POWER? WE ARE GOING TO BUILD 18,000 HOMES IN THE FIRST FOUR YEARS. IF LABOUR GETS INTO POWER? SO WHEN'S THE FIRST FAMILY GOING INTO A KIWIBUILD HOME? PLEASE, JUST TELL THE VOTERS. WE WILL HAVE THE FIRST HOMES OPEN IN THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'RE IN GOVERNMENT. SO ONE YEAR? IN THE FIRST YEAR, WE'RE PLANNING TO BUILD 800 HOMES. THAT'S GONNA BE CRANKED UP OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. IN THE FOURTH YEAR, WE'LL BE CRANKING OUT 10,000 HOMES A YEAR. YOU KNOW WHAT'S AMAZING HERE? IN THE FOURTH YEAR, WE'LL BE CRANKING OUT 10,000 HOMES AYEAR. YOU KNOW WHAT'S AMAZING HERE? BUT, PADDY, THE THING TO REMEMBER HERE IS THAT BY INCREASING THE BUILD RATE BY 10,000 A YEAR, WE WILL ONLY BE TAKING THE RATE OF CONSTRUCTION UP TO WHAT IT WAS IN 2004. SO HOW MANY HOUSES ARE YOU BUILDING IN THAT FIRST YEAR? BOO. BOO? 800. 800? YEP. 800? YEP. AND HOW MANY IN THE SECOND YEAR? BOO? YEP. HOVV MANY ARE YOU GONNA BUILD SO 800 IN THE FIRST YEAR, 4000 IN THE SECOND YEAR. HOW MANY IN THE THIRD YEAR? IT'S ABOUT 8000 IN THE THIRD YEAR. AND THEN HOW MANY IN THE FOURTH YEAR? WE'RE UP OVER 10,000 IN THE FOURTH YEAR. SEE, HERE'S THE JOKE. WE'RE UP OVER 10,000 IN THE FOURTH YEAR. SEE, HERE'S THE JOKE. THE THING TO REALISE IS THAT WE ARE ONLY RETURNING- THEY'VE BEEN SAYING 10,000 HOUSESA YEAR, BUT NOW WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET 800 IN THE FIRST YEAR, PADDY. SO IT'S 800 IN THE FIRST YEAR NOW, IS IT? ALL WE'RE DOING IS RETURNING THE MARKET TO THE TOP OF THE CYCLE, AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT THERE FOR 1O YEARS. WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE IN NZ. IF WE INCREASED THE RATE BY 10,000 A YEAR, WE'LL TAKE IT TO THE SAME RATE THAT IT WAS IN THE MID '7OS UNDER NORMAN KIRK. WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE, AND WE CAN DO ITAGAIN. AND, PADDY, THE THING IS THAT WE ARE GONNA GROW A BIGGER, MORE PRODUCTIVE AND MORE INNOVATIVE AND COMPETITIVE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. A BIGGER, MORE PRODUCTIVE AND BY THE GOVERNMENT ALL DOING IT. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. A BIGGER, MORE PRODUCTIVE AND BY THE GOVERNMENT ALL DOING IT. NO, BY TENDERING AT SCALE. SO, JUST EXPLAIN TO US, BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME THIS WEEK THATA $485,000 HOUSE, LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OUT IN HOBSONVILLE - I'VE BEEN OUT WITH BOTH OF YOU THIS WEEK - THAT'S GONNA BE $360,000 UNDER LABOUR, ATWO-BEDROOM TERRACE. SO WHERE ARE YOU SAYING $120,000 ON THE LAND AND THE BUILDING SUPPLIES? LET ME RUN YOU THROUGH IT. I WOULD PREFER IT IF NICK SMITH DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT LABOUR'S POLICY, BECAUSE I'M GONNA TELL YOU EXACTLY WHY, PADDY. ABOUT LABOUR'S POLICY, BECAUSE I'M IT'S LIKE JELLY. ABOUT LABOUR'S POLICY, BECAUSE I'M IT'S LIKE JELLY. THE FIRST WAY IS THAT BY BEING INVOLVED IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE CAN FOREGO THE DEVELOPER'S MARGIN. DEVELOPERS TYPICALLY MAKE ABOUTA 20% MARGIN ON THE LAND COSTS, ALL RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING. THE SECOND THING IS THAT BRANDZ, A PRIVATE-SECTOR INDUSTRY GROUP, ESTIMATED WE COULD KNOCK $32,000 THROUGH OFF-SITE MANUFACTURING OFF THE COST OF A NEW HOME. BUT WE'RE DOING THAT. NO, YOU'RE NOT. NO, YOU'RE NOT. YES, WE ARE. HOMES AT WEYMOUTH, OFF-SITE MANUFACTURING. THE THIRD WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY IS BY BULK-BUYING. WE PAY 30% MORE THAN THE AUSTRALIANS FOR MOST BUILDING MATERIALS, ALL RIGHT? THAT'S WHY WE GOT RID OF THE TARIFFS. THAT DIDN'T MAKE A BLIND BIT OF DIFFERENCE. BUT WE CAN KNOCK 25% TO 30% OFF THE COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS, WHICH ARE ABOUT HALF THE COST OF A NEW BUILD. ADD TO THAT THE FACT THAT THE CROWN CAN BORROW MONEY MORE CHEAPLY THAN ANY OF US CAN. WE'VE GOT CHEAPER COST OF CAPITAL THROUGH THE CROWN DOING THE BORROWING. AND THE FIFTH WAY THAT WE CAN SAVE IS THAT BY TENDERING THIS WORK OUT AT 10,000 UNITS AYEAR TO CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT CAN SCALE UP TO MORE SOPHISTICATED METHODS OF PRODUCTION- LIKE PREFABS. YOU'RE TALKING LIKE PREFABS, AREN'T YOU? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OFF-SITE MANUFACTURING. WE CAN DRIVE DOWN THE MARGINS. WE RANG THE PREFAB COMPANIES, AND THERE'S NO ONE THERE, PHIL. THERE'S NO ONE THAT CAN DO THIS. LOOK, IF YOU LOOK AT MIKE GREER AND SPANBILD IN CHRISTCHURCH, IF YOU LOOK AT EHOME OUT IN WESTAUCKLAND. ARE THEY READY TO BUILD 100,000 HOMES? THEY ARE READY TO SCALE UP, AND, PADDY, THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THIS IS A 10-YEAR BUILDING PROGRAMME, AND OVER THE FIRST THREE TO FOUR YEARS, WE ARE GOING TO TRAIN THOUSANDS OF APPRENTICES FOR BUILDERS, CARPENTERS, PLUMBERS. YOU PUTA CAP ON THE POLYTECHS AFTER THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS. OK, NOW, I WANT TO MOVE ON TO ANOTHER TOPIC, BUT HERE'S ANOTHER QUICK-FIRE QUESTION, AND WE'LL START WITH YOU, PHIL TWYFORD - WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE RIGHT NOW OF A FIRST-HOME BUYER IN NZ? PEOPLE ARE WAITING TILL THEIR MID-SOS... ABOUT 37. PEOPLE ARE WAITING TILL THEIR MID-SOS... ABOUT 37. ...BEFORE THEY BUY. THEIR MID-SOS... ABOUT 37. YEP. THEIR MID-SOS... HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK? YEP. THEIR MID-SOS... HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK? OH, MID-30S. I DON'T KNOW. 35, 36? YEAH, 34. IT'S 34. MINISTER, YOU HAVE GONE UP A BIT THERE. KNOW. 35, 36? YEAH, 34. IT'S 34. MINISTER, YOU HAVE GONE UP A BIT THERE. OH, I THINK- YOU THINK IT'S 37. THAT'S SHOCKING. THE FIGURES I KNOW IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE TIME IN HOME OWNERSHIP THAT'S OCCURRED SINCE THE MID 'SOS- YOU GUESSED 37. IN YOUR MIND, IT'S EDGING UP TO 4O WHEN YOU GET YOUR FIRST HOME, AND YOU'RE THE HOUSING MINISTER. IT NOW TAKES 5O YEARS TO PAY OFF THE AVERAGE MORTGAGE IN AUCKLAND. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE IN THE REST HOME BEFORE THEY'VE PAID OFF THEIR HOUSE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK IN A MOMENT. HOMESTART HELPS THOSE PEOPLE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK IN A MOMENT. HOMESTART HELPS THOSE PEOPLE. WE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT, NICK SMITH, TO TALK ABOUT FOREIGN OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL RATES. AND THEN, CAN NATIONAL HOLD ON TO ITS 2011 GAINS IN CHRISTCHURCH OR IS THE CITY IN THE GRIP OF REBUILD FATIGUE? PLEASE STAY WITH US. WITH NATIONAL'S NICK SMITH AND LABOUR'S PHIL TWYFORD. NOW. I WANT TO START WITH ANOTHER QUICK-FIRE QUESTION, AND I'LL START WITH YOU, NICK SMITH. HAVE YOU EVER PAID CASH TO ATRADESMAN? HAVE YOU EVER DONE A CASHIE? NOT THAT I CAN RECALL. YOU'VE NEVER PAID CASH TO A TRADESMAN, DONE A CASH JOB? NOT THAT I CAN RECALL. YOU CAN'T REMEMBER? TRADESMAN, DONE A CASH JOB? NOT THAT I CAN RECALL. YOU CAN'T REMEMBER? WELL, YOU KNOW, I DID A MAJOR UPGRADE OF BOTH HOUSES. IN FACT, I DID MY OWN EX-STATE HOUSE, WHICH I DID UP. PHIL TVVYFORD, HAVE YOU EVER DONE A CASHIE? I DON'T THINK THAT I HAVE, PADDY. I DON'T EVER RECALL HAVING DONE THAT. YOU DON'T RECALL HAVING DONE A CASHIE EITHER? NO. YOU DON'T RECALL HAVING DONE A CASHIE EITHER? NO. OK. THAT'S GOOD. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO THE BAN ON FOREIGN OWNERS. NOW, NICK SMITH, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES, AND I WANT TO START WITH YOU, PHIL TWYFORD. GIVE US ONE PIECE OF HARD EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH FOREIGN OWNERSHIP IN THE AUCKLAND HOUSING MARKET. WE'VE BASICALLY PRICED OUR KIDS OUT OF THE AUCKLAND HOUSING MARKET, AND ONE OF THE FACTORS IS FOREIGN BUYERS, AND THEY ARE A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN DRMNG UP HOUSE PRICES IN AUCKLAND, AND THERE IS NO REASON- THE QUESTION WAS FOR HARD EVIDENCE. JUST, WHAT IS THE ONE PIECE OF HARD EVIDENCE THAT IT IS A PROBLEM? THIS GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO EVEN COLLECT THE EVIDENCE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO KNOW. EVERYONE IN AUCKLAND KNOWS THAT OFFSHORE SPECULATORS ARE DRMNG UP HOUSE PRICES. I WANT TO STOP YOU THERE. EVERYONE IN AUCKLAND IS BASING IT ON ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE. THEY'RE BASING IT ON WHAT THEY SEE IN SALES, AREN'T THEY? AND WE'VE DELIBERATELY ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO COLLECT THE DATA. THEY COULD DO IT VERY EASILY BY ASKING THE SOLICITOR AT THE POINT OF PURCHASE TO CERTIFY IF SOMEONE IS A CITIZEN ORA RESIDENT, BUT THE GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO DO THAT. THE THREE OF US KNOW THAT, LOOKING ACROSS AN AUCTION ROOM, YOU CAN'T TELL WHETHER SOMEONE IS A CITIZEN ORA RESIDENT OR NOT. THAT'S CORRECT. AND MOST OF THE FOREIGN BUYERS ARE NOT CHINESE. MOST OF THE FOREIGN BUYERS ARE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. IAGREE WITH THAT, PATRICK, BUT THERE'S NO REASON WHY KIWI FIRST-TIME BUYERS- WHO MENTIONED CHINESE? ...SHOULD BE OUTBID. WELL, THATS BEEN A LARGE PART OF THE PUBLIC DEBATE. THERE IS NO REASON WHY KIWI FIRST-HOME BUYERS SHOULD BE OUTBID AT AUCTION BY A CASHED-UP SPECULATOR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD WHO SIMPLY WANTS TO TRADE ON CAPITAL GAIN FOR NZ HOUSES. THERE IS NO UPSIDE. NICK SMITH- THERE IS NO UPSIDE. NICK SMITH- THIS GOVERNMENT IS ON THE SIDE OF SPECULATORS, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. HE'S MAKING WINSTON PETERS LOOK MULTI-CULTURAL, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE. YOU KNOW, THIS IS LABOUR BLAMING THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE BOOK- NO. IT'S NOT. YOU KNOW, THIS IS LABOUR BLAMING THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE BOOK- NO. IT'S NOT. DOESN'T CARE WHETHER IT'S UNEMPLOYMENT OR CRIME, AND NOW HOUSING. 'IT'S ALL THOSE FOREIGNERS' FAULT, PADDY.' THAT'S RUBBISH. THAT'S ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. WELL, WHY NOT DISPROVE HIM WITH FACTS? WE'VE GOT FACTS. WELL, WHY NOT DISPROVE HIM WITH FACTS? WE'VE GOT FACTS. NO. YOU DON'T. HIM WITH FACTS? WE'VE GOT FACTS. YOU WON'T COLLECT THE DATA. HIM WITH FACTS? WHAT ABOUT THE FACTS? THE FACTS THAT WE HAVE FROM IRD IS THAT 2.- LET ME FINISH. LET ME FINISH. BUT TREASURY HAS ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT THAT INFORMATION IS DICEY, SO THEY ARE NOT FACTS. LET ME FINISH. IRD SAYS THAT 2.5% OF HOMES IN NZ ARE PAYING RENT TO AN OVERSEAS PERSON. < YES. WE KNOW THIS. AND THEY PROJECT THAT 40% OF THAT- AND IN THE SAME ADVICE- AND THEY PROJECT THAT 40% OF THAT- AND IN THE SAME ADVICE- AND MOST OF THOSE ARE NZ RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS WHO HAVE MOVED OVERSEAS AND OWN A HOME IN NZ. IN THE SAME ADVICE YOU'RE BASING IT ON, THEY ALSO SAY THIS INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETELY CREDIBLE AND GETTING A REGISTER WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. THEY ALSO SAY THIS INFORMATION IS NO. THEY DO NOT. A REGISTER WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. THEY ALSO SAY THIS INFORMATION IS NO. THEY DO NOT. IN THE SAME PIECE OF ADVICE. THE ADVICE THAT I'VE HAD IN MY MINISTRY IS- CAN I TELL YOU WHY PHIL'S WRONG? NO. I'LL TELL YOU- YES, PLEASE. SO, IF YOU RECORD WHO OWNS THE HOME AT THE POINT OF SALE, THAT DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION, COS OFTEN WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS AN OVERSEAS PERSON BUYS A HOUSE. THEY THEN MIGRATE TO NZ, COS YOU HAVE TO THEN MONITOR, AFTER THEY'VE PURCHASED THE HOUSE, WHETHER THEY GET RESIDENCY OR CITIZENSHIP. OTHERWISE YOUR NUMBERS ARE RUBBISH. NO. THAT'S NOT TRUE. WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE IRD DATA IS THAT IS HAS NOT CHANGED IN FIVE YEARS. IT'S NON-EVENT. THE IRD DATA IS ROPEY. IT DOESN'T TELL US THAT. IT'S ABOUT NOT TACKLING THE REAL ISSUES THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR KIWIS WANTING TO BUY THEIR OWN HOME. QUICK QUESTION COS WE'RE OUT OF TIME. THE FORGOTTEN RENT IS A BIG PART OF THE HOUSING MARKET. NAME ONE THING THAT, IF YOU GET BACK INTO GOVERNMENT, YOU WILL DO FOR RENTERS, NICK SMITH. FIRSTLY, CARRY ON INSULATING THOSE HOMES TO MAKE THEM HEALTHIER FOR FAMILIES. WE'VE DONE 300,000. WE'RE GONNA DO A LOT MORE. ONLY 15% OF THEM ARE RENTALS. WHAT WOULD LABOUR DO FOR RENTERS? WE'RE GOING TO GUARANTEE THAT ALL RENTAL PROPERTIES ARE WARM AND DRY THROUGH OUR HEALTHY HOMES GUARANTEE. SO SAME THING. NO. HE'S NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR THE RENTAL MARKET. ALL THOSE SUBSIDIES HAVE BEEN GOBBLED UP BY OWNER OCCUPIERS. THAT'S NOT TRUE. WE ARE GOING TO SET MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR HEATING AND INSULATION SO THATALL RENTAL PROPERTIES ARE WARM AND DRY. KIDS GROWING UP IN THOSE RENTAL PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE 250,000 KIDS BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, WILLAT LEAST HAVE AWARM, DRY HOME. PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE 250,000 KIDS BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, WILLAT LEAST HAVE AWARM, DRY HOME. WE'VE DONE MORE THAN ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT IN THAT SPACE. THAT IS A GOOD PLACE TO LEAVE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN, YOU TWO. THANK YOU. WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT HOUSING WITH BERNARD HICKEY AND MAIKI SHERMAN, BUT LET'S TURN NOW TO CHRISTCHURCH. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, NEXT THURSDAY'S THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST EARTHQUAKE TO RATTLE CHRISTCHURCH. THREE YEARS AGO, QUAKE ISSUES DOMINATED THE ELECTION AND HELPED NATIONAL TO VICTORY, BUT WHAT'S THE MOOD NOW? REPORTER LUCY WARHURST WENT TO CHRISTCHURCH TO FIND OUT. ON SEPTEMBER THE 4TH 2010, LIFE AS THE PEOPLE OF CHRISTCHURCH KNEW IT CHANGED. THE REGION HAS BEEN RATTLED BY 13-THOUSAND EARTHQUAKES SINCE THAT 7.1 MAGNITUDE TREMOR, MOST TERRIBLY THE FATAL FEBRUARY 2011 QUAKE WHICH CLAIMED 185 LIVES. CHRISTCHURCH WAS LEFT TRAUMATISED. THE DAMAGE TO LAND, BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUBSTANTIAL. THE REGION ALSO SAWA SHAKE-UP IN ITS POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN THE 2011 GENERAL ELECTION, WITH NATIONAL MAKING A 7% GAIN IN THE PARTY VOTE AND TURNING TWO PREVIOUSLY LABOUR SEATS BLUE. WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, IT'S HEROIC THAT ANYBODY EVEN VOTED. PEOPLE WERE GMNG CREDIT TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR DOING AS MUCH AS IT COULD UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT THREE YEARS INTO THE REBUILD, HAS NATIONAL DONE ENOUGH TO KEEP THAT VOTER SUPPORT? WELL, YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT ME TO SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN, 'YES, OF COURSE.' SO WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE? CERA BOSS ROGER SUTTON SAYS PLENTY. FOR MOST PEOPLE THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH THEIR HOUSE REPAIRS. NEARLY 80% OF HOUSES HAVE NOW BEEN FIXED. A LOT OF THAT UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, THE PIPES, THE ROADS. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MORE THAN HALFWAY THROUGH THE FIXES. IT MAY BE FOUR YEARS SINCE THE EARTHQUAKES BEGAN, BUT GERRY BROWNLEE SAYS THEY'RE FAR FROM BEING FOUR YEARS INTO THE REBUILD. IT WAS ALMOST 2% YEARS BEFORE YOU STARTED TO SEE ATAILING OFF OF THE FREQUENCY OF THE EARTHQUAKES. INSURANCE COMPANIES MADE IT VERY CLEAR THEY DIDN'T WANT TO START TOO MUCH OF THE WORK UNTIL WE HAD A PERIOD OF 9O DAYS WITHOUT ANY SHAKES. YOU'VE GOT TO SEE THIS AS BEING ON DAY ONE LIKE A 10,000 PIECE JIGSAW THAT WAS JUST TIPPED ONTO A TABLE, AND YOU'VE GOT TO SYSTEMATICALLY GO ABOUT PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER. BUT I THINK THE OVERALL PICTURE IS ONE OF CHRISTCHURCH CITY REBUILDING ITSELF AT GOOD PACE BUTALSO EXPERIENCING EXTRAORDINARY ECONOMIC GROWTH. CONSTRUCTION'S NOW THREE TIMES WHAT IT WAS PRIOR TO THE QUAKE. 10,000 PEOPLE MORE ARE WORKING IN CONSTRUCTION THAN PRIOR TO THE QUAKE. MALE UNEMPLOYMENT IS AT 2%. OVERALL, THE CITY IS RICHER, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN- IN AN OVERALL SENSE, IT CAN BE RICHER, BUT THERE ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT POCKETS OF PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARE MORE DIFFICULT. BUT THAT DOESN'T WASH WITH LABOUR'S RUTH DYSON. I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN AT THE CENTRE OF GERRY BROWNLEE AND JOHN KEY'S REBUILD AND RECOVERY, AND THAT'S WHERE IT SHOULD START; WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE INDMDUALS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR LIVES AND HOUSES DAMAGED AND DESTROYED BY THE QUAKES AND START WITH THEM, TAKE THEM ON THE PATH OF RECOVERY. THEY'VE BEEN LEFT BEHIND. AND PEOPLE IN THE CBD SEEM RESIGNED TO FACE A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY. WELL, I GUESS NOBODY KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT, BECAUSE IT'S AN UNPRECEDENTED EVENT, BUT YOU WOULD'VE EXPECTED THAT TOWN WOULDN'T LOOK LIKE THIS. CRANES EVERYWHERE AND STUFF, AND CAR PARKS ARE ALL GETTING REBUILT, AND IT'S GOING ALONG PRETTY WELL, BUT THERE'S STILL GONNA BE A FEW YEARS, I'D SAY. IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME, BUT IT'S QUITE IMPRESSIVE. LET'S TAKE LOOK AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS. IN THE CBD, 94% OF DEMOLITION WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED. ROADS, 27%. INSURERS HAVE FULLY SETTLED HALF OF RESIDENTIAL CLAIMS; EQC, MORE THAN 85%. BUT THAT STILL LEAVES OVER 33,000 HOMES TO SETTLE, REPAIR OR REBUILD. YOU CAN TALK TILL YOU'RE BLUE IN THE FACE WITH THE INSURERS ABOUT WHATA WONDERFUL JOB THEY'RE DOING, AND THAT'S A HARD JOB, BUT WHEN YOU'RE AT THE RECEMNG END, YOU'RE THE HAM IN THE SANDWICH BETWEEN EQC AND INSURERS, THAT'S A HELL OF A HORRIBLE PLACE TO BE. FORMER DEAN OF CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL REVEREND PETER BECK SHOULD KNOW AS HE'S AMONG THOSE WHOSE HOME IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. YES, PROGRESS IS BEING MADE, BUT I'M, TO BE HONEST, SICK OF LISTENING TO THE STATISTICS. PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT 85%, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PART OF THAT 85%, AND PROBABLY THEIR NEIGHBOUR ISN'T EITHER, SO AS FAR AS THEY'RE CONCERNED, THEY'RE 100% STILL STUCK. LEANNE CURTIS IS AMONG THOSE FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES IN RED-ZONED AVONSIDE AND REPRESENTS OTHERS FROM QUAKE-AFFECTED NEIGHBOURHOODS. WE'RE ATA PLACE WHERE WE URGENTLY NEED SOME REALLY INNOVATIVE AND IMMEDIATE HOUSING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE. WE'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE LMNG IN PARTS OF THEIR HOUSE OR LMNG IN A GARAGE. MAYOR LIANNE DALZIEL RECOGNISES IT'S A CITY DMDED. ON THE ONE HAND, YOU'VE GOT THIS INCREDIBLE SENSE OF EXCITEMENT BECAUSE DISASTER ALWAYS BRINGS OPPORTUNITY, AND YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO LITERALLY THRIVE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU'VE GOTA LOT OF PEOPLE WHO STILL HAVEN'T HAD THEIR INSURANCE SETTLED, STILL DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO BE REPAIRED OR REBUILT, STILL FACE THREATS AROUND FUTURE FLOOD RISK, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE, IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET EXCITED ABOUT THE REBUILD OPPORTUNITIES. AND THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THIS ELECTION IN CHRISTCHURCH SO HARD TO CALL. SINCE 2011, THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT POPULATION MOVEMENT, PROMPTING MAJOR BOUNDARY CHANGES. SOURCES SUGGEST CHRISTCHURCH CENTRAL AND WAIMAKARIRI ARE LIKELY TO RETURN TO LABOUR, BUT PORT HILLS COULD BE DOWN TO A COIN TOSS. POLITICAL SCIENTIST BRONWYN HAYWARD SAYS WHAT'S LESS CLEAR IS THE PARTY VOTE. NATIONAL VERY DEFINITELY NEEDS THE PARTY VOTE HERE IN CHRISTCHURCH ACROSS ALL THE ELECTORATES, AND SO TOO DOES LABOUR. THAT'S THE REAL COMPETITION. I CERTAINLY HOPE WE DO WELL. I'D LIKE US TO RECAPTURE THE SEATS THAT WE LOST IN CHRISTCHURCH CENTRALAND WAIMAKARIRI, OBVIOUSLY HOLD THE ONES THAT WE ALREADY HOLD AND IMPROVE OUR PARTY VOTE - THAT'S OUR AIM. FORMER LOCAL MP OF 27 YEARS, JIM ANDERTON, RAN A BY-ELECTION FOR LABOUR IN CHRISTCHURCH EAST IN 2013 WHICH SAW POTO WILLIAMS STORM TO VICTORY. THE SECRET - GETTING BACK TO BASICS. WE HAD SOME SIMPLE POLICY IDEAS TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES THAT CHRISTCHURCH EAST FACED, AND THAT WAS THE ANSWER, IN MY VIEW, TO LABOUR'S COMEBACK, BECAUSE THEY DID MAKE A VERY IMPRESSIVE COMEBACK. SO THAT WAS A SIGN THAT THERE WAS CHANGE. WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT LANDSLIDE WIN IN CHRISTCHURCH EAST IS INDICATIVE OF THE CURRENT POLITICAL MOOD? THIS HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY BEEN A LABOUR-HELD AREA, NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. THERE'S ONLY REALLY BEEN ONE NATIONAL SEAT IN THE CITY, THE FENDALTON-MERIVALE COMPLEX, AND THEN OUTSIDE SELWYN AND SO ON, BUT THE REST OF THE CITY SEATS HAVE ALL BE LABOUR. BUT THAT'S CHANGED, EVEN CHRISTCHURCH CENTRAL, SO THIS ELECTION WILL BE A BIT OF A WATERSHED OF HOW THAT FEELING HAS GONE. SO WHAT ARE THIS YEAR'S ELECTION ISSUES IN CHRISTCHURCH? GETTING THINGS MOVING AND GETTING PEOPLE HOUSES AND GETTING OUR CITY BACK SO THAT WE CAN ENJOY IT. I THINK IT'S STILL HUGE CONCENTRATING ON PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES. I THINK THAT'S THE BIG BIG THING, AND THE INSURANCE WORRIES. THOSE VOICES ARE TYPICAL OF MANY WE SPOKE TO AROUND THE CITY - IT'S STILL ALL ABOUT THE REBUILD. AND THAT'S ECHOED BY PRESS SENIOR WRITER PHILIP MATTHEWS. I THINK HOUSING WILL BE A BIG ONE. LOCAL GOVERNANCE, THE RETURN OF ECAN ISA BIG ONE FOR PEOPLE HERE. ASSET SALES THAT MIGHT BE FORCED ON US TO PAY FOR THE ANCHOR PROJECTS. SCHOOLS IS ANOTHER. BETWEEN 2011 AND NOW WE HAD THE CLOSURE OF A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS. SOME SCHOOLS ARE STILL FIGHTING TO STAY OPEN. THEY WANT TO STAY OPEN, THE COMMUNITY WANTS THEM OPEN AND YET THE GOVERNMENT INSISTS ON THEM BEING SHUT. AND THERE'S UNDOUBTEDLYA LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION IN THE CITY THAT WILL BE BORNE OUT IN THE VOTING. THIS HAS BEEN HUGE. IT'S ABSOLUTELY HUGE, SO WHOEVER WAS IN POWER, WHETHER IT WAS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT WAS GOING TO BE FACING THIS HUGE CHALLENGE. YES, THERE'S RESENTMENT FROM SOME, AND THEY WILL DIRECT THAT AT THE DECISION MAKERS AND THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN DOING STUFF. AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'VE GOT TO SAY, 'WELL, THINGS ARE HAPPENING. BUILDINGS ARE GOING UP.' ON THE WHOLE, I STILL THINK THE PARTY VOTE WILL GO TO NATIONAL, AND I THINK THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH. THERE'S A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN HERE THIS YEAR. SAM JOHNSON FOUNDED THE VOLUNTEER ARMY. HIS WORK HAS SEEN HIM TRAVEL TO DISASTER AREAS AROUND THE WORLD, AND HE SAYS CHRISTCHURCH IS DOING WELL. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR IT TO REVERT TO A DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT, BUT I THINK THE DANGER IN THAT IS THE COMPLEXITY OF ANY REBUILD OF A CITY ON THIS SCALE TO THINK THAT AN INSTANT CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE SITUATION IS MAYBE A WEE BIT NAIVE. THREE YEARS ON, THERE'S A FEELING THAT PEOPLE DO WANT CHANGE. IT DEPENDS ON TURNOUT. IF PEOPLE CAN'T BE BOTHERED TURNING OUT, IF THERE'S A COMPLACENCY ABOUT THE RESULT. IF LIFE'S RETURNING TO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE NORMAL, THEN THIS RECOVERY'S BEEN VERY GOOD. IF YOU'RE STILL STUCK, FOR THOSE PEOPLE, THEY'D PREDOMINANTLY THINK THAT NATIONAL'S DONE NOTHING FOR ME, SO THERE'S A SPLIT EVEN WITHIN THAT COMMUNITYAS TO WHETHER THEY WON'T VOTE AT ALL, COS THEY'VE LOST ALL FAITH IN POLITICS OR WHETHER THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR NATIONAL, BUT THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH CONVERSATION ABOUT WHO'S DOING A BETTER JOB EITHER. SO IT WOULD BE MORE A PROTEST AGAINST THAN A VOTE FOR. CHRISTCHURCH IS A CITY OF TWO MOODS, THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-NOTS. AND THATS WHAT WILL SHAPE THE OUTCOME. I THINK IT'LL BE AT LEAST TWO OR THREE ELECTION CYCLES BEFORE CHRISTCHURCH SETTLES AND WE REALLY SEE WHAT ITS NEW POLITICAL LANDSCAPES GOING TO BE. MOST PEOPLE I TALK TO IN CHRISTCHURCH, ALL THEY WANT IS A FAIR DEAL, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE HAD AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN WINNERS AND LOSERS, AND THATS NOT- THATS NOT OUR WAY. THATS NOT THE KIWI WAY, NOT WINNERS AND LOSERS. WE ACTUALLY WANT A FAIR DEAL FOR EVERYONE. IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE TURNOUT DOWN THERE, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE MARGINAL SEATS. BUT AFTER THE BREAK, THE PANEL ON JUDITH COLLINS' DOWNFALL - BROOK SABIN AND TOVA O'BRIEN JOIN US. PLUS, POLITICS IN 60 SECONDS WITH PAUL EGO AND JEREMY CORBETI'. THE BIG QUESTION THIS WEEK - IS LABOUR ACTUALLY BEING FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CUTTING SPENDING WHEN THEY HAVEN'T EVEN ANNOUNCED IT YET? RESPONSIBLE CUTTING SPENDING WHEN THEY HAVEN'T EVEN ANNOUNCED IT YET? OH, YES. NOW, MY WIFE DOES THIS. SHE BOUGHT A NEW PAIR OF SHOES THIS WEEK. WELL, HOW DOES THAT SAVE MONEY? NOW, MY WIFE DOES THIS. SHE BOUGHT A NEW PAIR OF SHOES THIS WEEK. WELL, HOW DOES THAT SAVE MONEY? WELL, SHE WAS THINKING OF BUYING THREE PAIRS. OK. WHAT IS THAT, BY THE WAY? OH, THATS FROM PAM. WE WORK IN NEWS. WE NEED ONE, APPARENTLY. OH RIGHT. WELL, SHOULDN'T IT BE, LIKE, PUFFED UP OR SOMETHING? IT SHOULD, YEAH. BUT THE BIG QUESTION THIS WEEK -AND I'LL PLUNK IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, PAUL EGO - YOU KNEWABOUT THE NICKY HAGER BOOK BEFORE ITS RELEASE. NO, I DIDN'T. ANSWER THE QUESTION. YOU KNEVV ABOUT THE BOOK AND YOU KNEVV ABOUT THE JUDITH COLLINS REVELATIONS. WHY ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF THIS STUFF? THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR. WHAT EVIDENCE? YEAH. GOOD POINT. SHOULD'VE GOT SOME EVIDENCE. PROBABLY. YEAH. SORRYABOUT THAT. GOTA BIT PUFFED UP. YOU KNOW HOW IT IS. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. HMM. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. HMM. HOWS THE FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY COMING ALONG? GREAT. YOU ARE THIRD ON THE LIST, MY FRIEND. ONLY THIRD? WELL, ALL RIGHT. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE 13TH, WITH THATATTITUDE? OH GOD. IS THIS COS I'M GONNA TRY AND LEAD THE CONGA LINE AGAIN? NOT INVITED. WELL, WHAT ABOUT JOHN KEY? HE'S PROBABLY LOOKING FOR AN INVITE NOW. HE'S NOT INVITED EITHER. OH, REALLY? OOH, THAT'S GONNA KILL HIM. AT PEACE OUT. THERE'LL BE MORE FROM THOSE GUYS NEXT WEEK, BUT IT HAS BEEN A STUNNING 24 HOURS IN POLITICS. A MINISTERIAL RESIGNATION JUST THREE WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY. FOR ANALYSIS I'M JOINED BY THE 3 NEWS POLITICAL TEAM - PADDY, OF COURSE, PLUS TOVA O'BRIEN AND BROOK SABIN. GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL. BROOK, IF I CAN COME TO YOU FIRST, THE MINISTER'S BEEN ACCUSED OF DOING A LOT OF THINGS OVER THE PAST MONTHS, INCLUDING LEAKING THE DETAILS OF A CML SERVANT TO WHALEOIL. HOW IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT? THE PRIME MINISTER CLAIMS IT'S IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN. IS HE RIGHT? I DON'T THINK THIS IS IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN. IT'S JUSTAS SERIOUS AS THE OTHER ALLEGATIONS. HE JUST DIDN'T WANT HIS CAMPAIGN DERAILED FOR THE NEXT ONE TO TWO WEEKS. IT WAS TIME TO TURN THE JUDITH COLLINS LIFE SUPPORT OFF. THAT GOES BACK TO ALL OF THAT STUFF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT INITIALLY WHEN THE BOOK CAME OUT. THE PRIME MINISTER DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE ITANY CREDENCE. IF HE GAVE ANY ONE OF THOSE ALLEGATIONS ANY CREDENCE IN THE BOOK, THEN IT VALIDATED THE ENTIRE THING. SO HERE IS A SEPARATE ALLEGATION, AND HERE IS ONE OF PRIME MINISTER'S FREE TO TAKE SERIOUSLY AND TO ACT UPON. DOES THIS VALIDATE THINGS? YES, PADDY? IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THIS EVIDENCE DOES NOT COME FROM THE HACKER WHOSE GOT THE BOOK. THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE HAS SAID IT COMES FROM A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE OF ITS OWN. THEY'VE GONE OUT, GOT THEIR OWN EVIDENCE THAT ISN'T PART OF THE BOOK, USED IT TO GET RID OF JUDITH COLLINS. THE REASON ISN'TANYTHING THATS WRITTEN IN THE EMAIL. IT'S NOWHERE NEAR AS BAD AS THE SIMON PLEASANTS CASE. THE REASON IS THAT POLLS LIKE THE 3 NEWS RESEARCH POLL WERE SAYING 63% OF NZERS WANT COLLINS GONE. JOHN KEY SAID, 'FIND ME A REASON.' HIS MATES OUT ON THE RIGHT WENT OUT AND FOUND OUTAN EMAIL, AND THEY'VE SUNK COLLINS. THIS IS THE DIRTY POLITICS OF THE RIGHT. SO WILL THERE BE PAYBACK THEN? YEAH, I MEAN- BUT NOT BEFORE THE ELECTION. THERE'S NOT TIME. LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THIS - SO CYNICAL. ON A SATURDAY AT THE DEADEST POINT OF THE NEWS CYCLE, WELL KNOWN. JOHN KEY PLUCKS OUT OF THIN AIR AN EMAIL THAT ABSOLUTELY SINKS COLLINS. WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE BOOK, WHICH IS WORSE. WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT ORAVIDA. JOHN KEY SAW SOME POLLS, FREAKED OUT, AND THE RIGHT HAVE JACKED UPA REASON, THEY'VE MADE UPA REASON, AND THEY'VE GOT RID OF COLLINS. YEAH, TOVA. AND THEY'VE GOT RID OF COLLINS. YEAH, TOVA. WELL, PAYBACK'S BECOMING A BIT OF ATHEME, ISN'T IT, IN THIS? BUT WE HEARD ABOUT IT IN THE BOOK - UTU, REVENGE. WE HEARD ABOUT THE MINISTER TALKING ABOUT THE 'DOUBLE RULE'. YOU ALWAYS GIVE BACK DOUBLE. DAVID CUNLIFFE TODAY SAYING WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND WITH JUDITH COLLINS, AND IT'S ALMOST IRONIC, ISN'T IT, THAT IT'S WHALEOIL, CAMERON SLATER - THINGS THAT HE'S SAID ABOUT HIS GOOD MATE, JUDITH COLLINS, WHICH ARE DERAILING HER. AND I THINK THIS IS ALWAYS INEVITABLE. 'DIRTY POLITICS' IS A ROTTEN ONION, AND AT THE CORE OF IT, AS THE LAYERS CAME OFF, IS CAMERON SLATER AND JUDITH COLLINS. THE HACKER HAS PROOF OF THAT. JOHN KEY KNOWS THAT THAT WAS ALWAYS GONNA COME OUT BEFORE THE ELECTION. HE NEEDED TO GET RID OF HER. AND THE QUESTION FOR JOHN KEY NOW IS - IF YOU CAN ACT ON THIS ONE EMAIL OF CAMERON SLATER'S, WHY CAN'T YOU ACT ON THE OTHERS THAT ARE IN THERE? WHY CAN'T YOU ACT ON THE ONES IN THE BOOK? WHY WON'T YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT JASON EDE, WHO WAS YOUR TAXPAYER-FUNDED DIRT-DIGGER JOHN KEY STILL EMPLOYED BY THE NATIONAL PARTY. AND THE OTHER QUESTION IS, OF COURSE, WHO IS BEHIND THIS, WHO IS BEHIND THIS? WHO IS BEHIND GETTING RID OF JUDITH COLLINS? WELL, I'D EXPECT THE OPPOSITION TO CHOMP STRAIGHT INTO KEYAFTER THIS. THEY'VE GOT THEIR SCALP, JUDITH COLLINS. THEY'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE PRIME MINISTER, AND THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED OF HIM. WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS AFTER THE BREAK. STAY WITH US. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALLEGATIONS THAT JUDITH COLLINS, NOWA FORMER MINISTER, WAS CONSPIRING WITH WHALEOILAND OTHERS TO BRING DOWN ADAM FEELEY, THE HEAD OF THE SFO AT THE TIME, AND SHE WAS THE MINISTER IN CHARGE. IN HER PRESS CONFERENCE, SHE SAYS SHE'S INNOCENT AND NONE OF THIS IS TRUE. PLAYING THE VICTIM, DO YOU THINK, TOVA? THAT'S RIGHT. JUDITH COLLINS PLAYING THE VICTIM, SAYING THAT SHE'S BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A SMEAR CAMPAIGN FROM THE LEFT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO PITY JUDITH COLLINS, ESPECIALLYAFTER READING 'DIRTY POLITICS'. WE KNOW THE KIND OF LANGUAGE SHE USES WITH CAMERON SLATER. WE KNOW THAT SHE PASSED ON THE NAME OF THAT PUBLIC SERVANT, SIMON PLEASANTS, TO CAMERON SLATER. HE WAS THEN SUBJECTED TO A SMEAR CAMPAIGN. SHE CALLS CLAYTON COSGROVE PLUGHEAD, JACINDAARDERN MY LITTLE PONY. WE KNOW THE TYPE OF LANGUAGE JUDITH COLLINS USED. IT'S HARD- SO THERE'S A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOUR HERE? WELL, IT'S HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR HER. THERE IS A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOUR HERE. WE'VE SEEN HER TARGET PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT SHE DOESN'T LIKE. WE SEEN ISSUES SHE'S HAD WITH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF ACC, RALPH STEWART. IT ACTUALLY GOES RIGHT BACK TO A CLASH THAT SHE HAD, WHEN SHE FIRST BECAME A MINISTER, WITH BARRY MATTHEWS, WHO WAS THE HEAD OF CORRECTIONS. THERE IS A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOUR. YEAH, SO IS DAVID CUNLIFFE RIGHT? BECAUSE HE HAS SAID IN OUR EARLIER INTERVIEW THAT THERE IS A- IT'S A CULTURE SPREAD WELL WITHIN THIS GOVERNMENT. THERE'S CERTAINLY A CULTURE WITH JUDITH COLLINS OF ATTACKING PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT SHE DOES NOT LIKE. SO THATS WHY THIS DOES FIT TOGETHER - WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS CASE. WHAT WE'RE EFFECTIVELY LOOKING AT HERE IS ALLEGATIONS THAT SHE IS TRYING TO OUST THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE THAT SHE NO LONGER WANTS TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE. HER POLITICALARROGANCE HAS CAUGHT UP WITH HER. I MEAN, THE EMAIL THAT WE'VE SEEN EMERGE DOES NOT LIE. CAMERON SLATER CLEARLY STATES THAT THE MINISTER WAS GUNNING FOR FEELEY. HE ACTUALLY SAYS THAT HE MIGHT HAVE- AND WE'VE SPOKEN TO HIM. HE SAYS THAT HE MIGHT HAVE EMBELLISHED THAT - THE MINISTER IS NOT LYING; HE'S NOT LYING. BUT 'EMBELLISHMENT' WOULD BE A GOOD WORD TO USE IN RELATION TO HIS EMAIL. EVEN IF IT'S 'EMBELLISH', SHE SAYS SHE STEPPED DOWN TO PROVE HER INNOCENCE. IS THAT WHAT SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TO DO - PROVE IT, RATHER THAN HER GUILT BE PROVEN? I DON'T THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT HAPPEN. MY EXPECTATION IS THAT WHENEVER THIS INQUIRY COMES OUT, SIX MONTHS, EIGHT MONTHS FROM NOW, SHE WILL HAVE TO STAND DOWN COMPLETELYAS AN MP. I MEAN, WE'RE ONLY SCRATCHING THE SURFACE HERE, I IMAGINE. WE'VE ONLY SEEN FINITE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HER AND CAMERON SLATER EMERGE. THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME. YEAH, I DON'T THINK THE PRIME MINISTER WANTS HER BACK. WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER IS LOOKING FOR HERE IS TO TRY AND CAUTERISE THIS, AND HE'S ALSO PROBABLY LOOKING TO REGAIN A BIT OF POPULARITY. DON'T FORGET THE PUNTERS OUT THERE WANT HER GONE. JOHN KEY IS LOOKING TO PICK UPA BIT OF POPULARITY BY FINALLY AGAINST HER. CAN HE PICK THAT UP? CAN HE PICK THAT POPULARITY BACK UP, DO YOU THINK? YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THIS MOVE WILL BE BEHIND. HE'LL BE LOOKING TO TRY AND GET A BUMP AS VVELL. I MEAN, IN OUR EYES, IT'S TAKING FAR TOO LONG. BUT OUT THERE IN PUNTER LAND, THEY WILL SEE THAT HE HAS ACTUALLY FINALLY DONE SOMETHING ABOUT HER, EVEN IF WE ALL KNOW HERE THAT HE'S PROBABLY MADE UP THE REASON. I THINK THE PUNTERS WILL THINK THAT IT'S TAKEN TOO LONG, THOUGH, AND HE IS GONNA LOSE ANOTHER WEEK OF THE CAMPAIGN NOW, ANSWERING QUESTIONS. AND NATIONAL KNOWS IF IT'S OFF MESSAGE, IT GOES DOWN IN THE POLLS. THERE'S ONLY SO MANY LAST, LAST, LAST, LAST, LAST, LAST CHANCES THAT YOU CAN GET. AND APPARENTLY IT'S JUST BEEN USED UP. ALL RIGHT, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US. NOW A QUICK LOOK AT THE NEWS NEXT WEEK. JOHN KEYAND DAVID CUNLIFFE FACE OFF AGAIN IN THE CHRISTCHURCH PRESS DEBATE ON TUESDAY. NOW, REMEMBER, THAT WAS PHIL GOFF'S 'SHOW ME THE MONEY' MOMENT BACK IN 2011. THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON WILL RECEIVE AN HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY ON WEDNESDAY. AND IN POLICY ANNOUNCEMENTS, EXPECT MORE ON HOUSING FROM LABOUR TODAY AND A SOCIAL POLICY FROM THE GREENS ON TUESDAY. AND IF THAT DOESN'T GENERATE ENOUGH EXCITEMENT, HERE ON THE NATION NEXT WEEK, OUR FINAL ELECTION DEBATE WITH THE TWO MEN VYING FOR THE JOB OF FINANCE MINISTER - NATIONAL'S DEPUTY LEADER, BILL ENGLISH, AND LABOUR'S NUMBER TWO, DAVID PARKER - HEAD-TO-HEAD. WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEEKEND, BUT UNTIL THEN, FROM ME AND THE REST OF THE NATION TEAM, THANKS FOR JOINING US AND ENJOY YOUR WEEK. NOTE: CAPTIONS COMPUTER GENERATED USING OCR FROM DVB-SUBPICTURES. CA. NOTE: CAPTIONS COMPUTER GENERATED USING OCR FROM DVB-SUBPICTURES. CA. NOTE: CAPTIONS COMPUTER GENERATED USING OCR FROM DVB-SUBPICTURES. CA. NOTE: CAPTIONS COMPUTER GENERATED USING OCR FROM DVB-SUBPICTURES. CA.