Labour MPs meeting for brainstorm in Wellington

NEW ZEALAND HERALD: At a meeting in Wellington tomorrow, Labour MPs will try to figure out what they can do to turn the polls around.

The Labour caucus strategy meeting is being held at Premier House.

Prime Minister Helen Clark today predicted National's lead in the polls would start to slip when the election campaign started and said she had no thoughts about handing the leadership to someone else.

The PM was asked today whether she would consider stepping aside to give Labour "a new face" before the election if the polls don't change.

The last four have shown National's support at more than 50 per cent, and its lead over Labour at more than 20 points.

"That's a question I'm not even prepared to contemplate," she said.

"I believe that in the home straight before the election itself the polls will begin to narrow."

Labour has struggled to turn around the polls with many commentators saying it appears that voters have turned their backs on the Government.

Helen Clark said voters knew little about the National Party in terms of personnel and policy.

National, meanwhile, said it was planning to release more policies during the current two week parliamentary recess.

They would primarily be on ACC, employment and workplace relations and small business.

Last week the party's position on ACC hit the headlines after a report by Merrill Lynch said Australian insurers could reap $200 million from moves to open ACC up to private competition.

Deputy leader Bill English told Agenda on TV One that the small business policy would be released. He said a voluntary probation policy for new workers would be part of that.

Last year National leader John Key said the party had no plans to make "major changes" to the Employment Relations Act.

National's previous policy was to create a new act merging the ERA and Employment Contracts Act. It included removing union monopoly bargaining over collective agreements, establishing a 90 day probation period for new workers, changing mediation, adjudication and personal grievance mechanisms and limiting union access to the workplace.

Today National also outlined its broadcasting policy and a party spokesman said more releases were planned in the coming weeks of second tier policy announcements.