My Unsolicited Advice to United Future

If I was in Peter Dunne's brains trust, there would be one line I would use at the up-coming election - "If you usually vote Labour, you should vote for United Future to keep National from the extremists."

It's a message I would be trotting out a lot - arguing that United Future with seven to ten MPs will have influence over National and keep ACT and NZ First away from Government. And I wouldn't be shy about explicitly attracting Labour voters.

Their conference this weekend was a good step for United Future in this type of strategy by sticking to just three key messages - moderately lower tax, electoral reform and getting more elective surgury done in the private sector - that are likely to be non-controversial with Labour voters.

National's high poll ratings will not survive the scrutiny of an election campaign and other parties big promises (knowing they don't have to implement them). And as the election campaign gets to it's end it should be clear that National will not be able to govern alone.

By capitalising on it's strengths of being considered a reliable partner for any Government, and if United Future stays on message it could very well be attractive to Labour voters - especially the conservative working class Labour voter - wanting to ensure a moderate National Government.