CAMPAIGN DIARY

The latest news from the campaign trail.

YESTERDAY

In Auckland Bill English announced policy to cut the sentences of low-risk prisoners if they complete training and treatment programmes. The Opportunities Party leader Gareth Morgan launched a “Stop Winston” campaign, urging voters in certain electorates to vote for a Top candidate and give Labour and National a coalition partner that isn’t NZ First. Jacinda Ardern used a speech to GreyPower in Nelson to slam National’s campaign of “fear and lying”. In Whangamata Winston Peters pledged to set-up an elite “flying squad” of police officers to target “rampant outbreaks of lawlessness and organised crime”.

TODAY

English is in Gisborne, and Ardern is on the West Coast and in Christchurch. Peters is in Dunedin and James Shaw will announce the Greens' te reo Maori policy in Wellington.

TOMORROW

English is in Kaikoura and Wellington, and Ardern is in Dunedin.

OF NOTE

Ardern told a Nelson GreyPower meeting Waikato Hospital tried to discharge her grandfather at 11.30pm on Tuesday night. She said "he lives an hour away from the hospital and he’s 85 years old”. With less than 10 days to go to the election, it is disturbing to learn that Peters hasn't yet decided where he is going to be on election night. It doesn't augur well for any coalition talks. Annette King marked her 70th birthday on the trail — in Greymouth. It was celebrated with dinner and a cake at the Paroa Hotel and a little bit of money on the bar — Trevor Mallard got in trouble with King for dobbing in the occasion to Ardern. Mallard did have his uses, however. As the West Coast rain fell, Mallard held an umbrella over Ardern while getting soaked himself. A 1 News Colmar Brunton poll will be released tonight. The same poll last week had Labour ahead of National — but a Newshub Reid Research poll released on Tuesday night had National well out in front.

QUOTES

“I never was a believer in this notion of stardust. Unless you mean the 1980s version of Jem and the Holograms.” Ardern on whether English is right to say the “stardust” around her has settled. “I refute any allegations that question my loyalty to New Zealand.” National MP Jian Yang after reports the NZSIS looked into his links with China.