Election campaigning begins

RADIO NEW ZEALAND: The National and Labour party leaders campaigned in Auckland on Saturday, a day after Helen Clark announced the election would be held on 8 November.

National leader John Key was at the Otara Markets while Helen Clark Helen Clark was in her Mt Albert electorate.

John Key chatted to stall owners and shoppers at the Otara markets. He says he had a positive response from people in South Auckland, and says National is doing better in its non-traditional areas, which is why it will win the election.

"When I meet people from all over New Zealand, what I find is their issues are the same," he said.

"They care passionately about their children having an opportunity in life to do well, they want to see their community safer, and they want to feel as though they can make a difference to their own life through their own efforts - very similar reaction, doesn't really matter which socio-economic group we're in or which part of the country we're in."

In her Mt Albert electorate Helen Clark was cheered by supporters as she help put up a Labour Party billboard.

She said John Key is deluded if he thinks National is doing better in its non-traditional areas of support and reiterated her party's election theme of trust.

"There is no fixed point about the National Party, they don't appear to believe in anything except trying to win.

"We get out and fight for what we believe in, the things that we've done, the things that we will do which are focussed on our ordinary families, superannuitants and communities.

Miss Clark said National had attacked everything the Labour-led Government has done to make life better.