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Political Report for Tuesday, February 5th, 2008

05/02/2008 10:52:04

Head Girl Helen's clearly not going to hold back on her vitriol this year. For her it's undoubtedly her most important year since coming into politics when Rob Muldoon ruled the sty back in 1981.

The stakes are certainly high. She wants her fourth term in office but this year's election is the Tory's John Key's to lose. The Head Girl's doing her her best to ensure that happens, beating her gums at every opportunity at how had the alternative really is.

She's taking no prisoners. Take Muzza McCully's finger pointing at Labour for allowing a Government company to build cellphone towers in one of the world's most oppressive countries, Myanmar, or Burma as it used to be known.

Muzza says the military regime there makes Fiji's Frank Bananadrama look like a junior choir boy and few would argue with that.

But it was the caustic response that his comment drew from The Head Girl. She said she'd never thought of the words McCully and ethics going into the same sentence. And anyway she says cellphones are the best way to spread the democratic word and to relay how oppressive regimes really are.

If that wasn't enough she was defensive about not appearing in a leaders' debate on the lower marae at Waitangi tonight sniffing that the only time she ever appears with other leaders is on telly during the election.

And of the Tories doing a U turn on interest rates for student loans she flashed her non air brushed teeth and laughed that their U turns saying they make them look pathetic. From opposing Labour's policies and saying they're a waste of public money she says they're now saying they're adopting them because they lost the last election.

And that's what they did say which some would say at least they're prepared to listen to what the electorate said!

Barry Soper

Political Editor

Newstalk ZB

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