Mike's Minute: This weekend opened a gap in the election race

The only thing National did wrong on Friday was release its literacy policy.  Friday is not a good day for news cut-through.  To a degree, they were at a disadvantage, as was every other party considering Labour released some heating ideas for houses.  If you release it Friday many will miss it. But if you don't release anything you can be accused of a missed opportunity.  But the literacy policy is more fertile ground for National given the record of the Government. Labour rolled out poor, old Jan Tinetti who was gobsmacked and heartbroken and various other emotions over the change.  But she, like Ginny Andersen the day before when Labour laughably promised to crack down on gangs, is in no position to debate their portfolios, given they have been abject failures.  There is simply no hiding what has happened to our education system under this Government.  It has been Maorified, kids don’t turn up, results are shocking, standards have slipped and international testing shows the parlous state we are in.  Enter Erica Stanford, who is as good a prosecutor of her portfolio as any politician and is backed up by Chris Luxon, who talks of her being world-class.  Also on Friday, as a death knell of sorts for Labour was yet another poll. This one was the Taxpayers Union Curia poll showing Labour in nightmare country in the 20s. Winston Peters is also below 5 percent so there is a change of Government.  The other criticism was the growing commentary from the media on the lack of energy by Chris Hipkins. It is palpable - he looks tired and worn down and lacklustre.  He has nothing to say. A lot of his policies fall flat because they are juxtaposed against the reality of what has been delivered. Also, against him is what the media are claiming is the energizer bunny of Chris Luxon.  Luxon and Hipkins in the aforementioned poll in preferred Prime Minister numbers are even. That’s a growing story and next stop is Luxon overtaking him.  Let me tell you this for nothing - a lot of the media have been kind to Labour and even kinder to "Chippy from the Hutt".  That has turned. They see what we see.  They see a bloke from the private sector, a success story who at last is delivering with confidence and detail and aspiration. And they see a political lifer, out of puff with a record in tatters.  As much as we can say it, in mid-September, it is over.  If you want to make predictions, not only will we see a change of Government. It is increasingly likely that a landslide is on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.