John Key's knock-out blow

Michael Cullen's fury and condemnation of the National Party's tax cut plan and economic policies was clear yesterday. I doubt very much whether he slept much last night.

He didn't have much to attack Key on so critiqued the tax package politically rather than its practical measures(it ain't that practical to me though) because it is a package he would have liked to pass himself.

It gazumped Labour's own tax cuts in sheer figures but there was more icing on the cake in the form of big vote capturing for National.

It targets Labour's key demographic, the lower middle class and will capture a large number of voters come election day. It also concentrates on the middle class, where alot of swinging voters lay and the vote is going to swing National's way here again.

The Kiwsaver changes make sense, more money in peoples pockets now rather than forced to put too much away for latter, while at the same time keeping a portion of the savings quotient will be important during the coming Cullen managed deep recession.

Even the one trick pony Mary Holmes says the Kiwisaver changes make it much more attractive.

A simple master stroke of politics for Key. He looked very comfortable during his speech to the faithful yesterday and in a grilling by the Gnome on Campbell Live yesterday was very easy going and it was clear he was in his element.

To me it looked like John Key's knock out blow.

Labour isn't in a position to buy their way out of this election as an antidote to National's tax package, but look for them to try some sort of vote buying lunacy by playing around with numbers-a cooking of the books.

c Political Animal 2008