MPs look for show of strength as English sets out vision

The Todd Barclay debacle was not directly addressed at the National Party conference in Wellington yesterday and nor will it be in this morning’s keynote speech by Prime Minister Bill English.

English is expected to avoid any mention of Barclay, who was forced to resign from politics after English released an old police statement which said Barclay told him he had taped his electorate agent’s phone conversations.

Nor is English expected to mention the chaos around Labour’s intern scheme for foreign activists to campaign for it.

The speech is designed to establish the direction of National’s election campaign — and won’t contain any policy announcements.

It is understood it will seek to contrast what it sees as National’s outward-looking drive for greater growth and Labour’s call for a “breather” — the word it used in its immigration policy.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is continuing his pitch for the regional vote by launching a regional campaign today in Palmerston North.

MPs in particular are looking for a strong performance by English today after the week of trauma in which his own credibility was questioned.

If he was shaken by the events of the past week, he hasn’t shown it. “If you needed a reminder about how challenging the next three months are going to be then this last week, you had it,” he said in brief opening remarks.

“We will be tested on all aspects of our organisation, of our policy and of our behaviour. If we pass those tests, then we will deserve to win.”

Deputy leader Paula Bennett was one of several speakers to talk up English’s leadership at the conference.

“We’ve taken some bumps along the way. We’ve been knocked down and we’ve always got back up and I don’t think the last week was a fatal blow. In fact it feels like it was barely a tap.”

She also admitted to have a “political crush” on English. “He is just a man I admire so greatly and every time I see him working,” she said.