Labour's whip Chris Hipkins introduced Andrew Little for his pre-Budget speech by talking about the Bluff Oyster Festival Hipkins attended at the weekend. Prime Minister John Key delivered Labour a present by publicly talking about the prospect of $3 billion in tax cuts after 2017. A minute later Little took to the stage to deliver a triumphant piece of mixed messages. On the face of it the speech was aimed at "middle New Zealand". That would at least have given the "middle New Zealand" hotel worker who finds Hipkins' oysters something to wash them down with.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 22, 2016 02:33 UTC