The two launches offered two contrasting ideas about how to face both the immediate and long term future for New Zealand.   In  terms of managing through tough economic times  Labour and Helen Clark are promising a good old fashioned dose of Keynes.  The key points being

1.  A commitment to a deposit guarantee system for New Zealanders savings
2. An extra 1000 Modern Apprentices
3. A re-training allowance for those who have been made redundant
4. A commitment to bring forward infrastructure spending on rail, roads, school etc if necessary.  One of these projects is improving rail linkage between Palmerston North and Wellington.

In contrast from National we saw little that was new, but rather the same empty rhetoric on productivity and infrastructure,  tax cuts as panacea for all ills and putting the blame on so-called ‘backroom’ public servants. The choice for November 8th is becoming clearer by the moment.