Dunne draws parallels with US elections

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Government minister Peter Dunne says Labour's latest disastrous poll has echoes of the US Democratic presidential nominee race - with Helen Clark looking like a tired Hillary Clinton.

"Hillary Clinton oozes policy and experience and all of that, and you could say she is like Helen Clark. John Key is fresh and relatively unknown, and doesn't that sound like Barack Obama?

"If you've got a country that's feeling good about itself, and things aren't going too badly, the fresh face looks appealing. People are willing to take a punt," said Dunne, minister of revenue and leader of United Future.

Dunne said he believed the national mood was now "solidifying" against Labour. A Fairfax poll published yesterday saw National extend its lead over Labour to its biggest yet during Clark's prime ministership, with 55% support for National and 32% for Labour.

But engineers union national secretary Andrew Little said the poll numbers were being driven by more than just a simple desire for fresh faces.

He said rising petrol and food prices, high debt and increasing interest rates, were biting hard into budgets.

"I think the party that can credibly address the economic anxieties that are emerging has a good chance. The party that can come up with a convincing story on not just cutting taxes, but on lifting wages and closing the gap between Australia and New Zealand will do well."

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff, seen as the most likely successor to Helen Clark, yesterday dismissed speculation that poor polls could lead to him making a move before the election. The chances of that were "absolutely none", he said.

"I have enormous admiration for the job Helen Clark has done and I'm totally supportive of her doing that job."

A spokesman for Clark said: "The result seems extreme but it's clear we have a lot of work to do. We have had a solid start to the year. There have been no stunts, just a lot of policy rolled out and we are getting on governing."

- © Fairfax NZ News