PM’S star undimmed for party faithful

PRIME Minister John Key will get a hero’s welcome from party faithful during the weekend — despite protests and building pressure on his government over the economy.

With the number of Kiwis flocking to Australia at record highs, lacklustre economic growth and a chorus of calls to address a housing crisis and the burgeoning cost of superannuation, Mr Key acknowledges National’s rank and file will want to know what direction his Government will take over the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, the venue, Auckland’s SkyCity, will be an unwelcome reminder of a torrid few months in office for National, which has been embroiled in a string of controversies. They include Mr Key’s proposal to allow more pokie machines at SkyCity in return for the company building a convention centre.

Right-wing blogger David Farrar says party delegates will be ‘‘relieved’’ that National appears to have put the worst of those blunders behind it, and Mr Key will get kudos for sticking with National’s flagship asset sales programme, despite a concerted campaign against it.

The policy, which National campaigned on at the last election, has been deeply unpopular.

Mr Key is also under pressure to reverse his promise to resign rather than tinker with pensions — a promise he made on the cam- paign trail in 2008 to put Labour’s claims that National would meanstest pensions to rest.

Labour’s announcement of a shift in the retirement age to 67 if it is voted into power has put National under pressure to match it.

Mr Farrar said National would grapple with how to ‘‘neutralise’’ the issue in 2014.

Mr Key said no government he led would raise the pension age or tinker with superannuation rates, and he would resign over the promise, making any change in policy difficult.

But Mr Farrar said there were options.

‘‘One possibility is you could have a referendum on the future age and other issues, because that’s not the government decid- ing [to raise the people deciding.

‘‘The other is some sort of discussion, or inquiry, to look at future changes, but make it clear they won’t happen during the next term of government.’’

But simply breaking Mr Key’s promise was not an option.

‘‘One can debate whether in hindsight that was a good idea making it that firm, but it was made that firm. And John Key’s credibility and respect and popularity with the public is very, very crucial to the Government’s chances.

‘‘Labour’s entire campaign is they would love John Key to break his word because they know it’s game over, so I don’t think there is any way he will.’’

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