"National's smear and fear tactics are the last resort of the desperate and are doomed to backfire," Labour campaign spokesperson Pete Hodgson said today.

"We fully anticipate explicit and implicit dishonesty to characterise their advertisements and statements on tax in the count down to polling day.

"But it won't save them. Not this time. There is simply too much at stake - and the voters know it.

"Three more years of National's policy agenda, made even more vicious by Act, would be devastating for New Zealand. The gap between the haves and the have-nots would yawn out to beyond American proportions as health and education spending were slashed to provide tax cuts for the rich.

"And we would lose even more of our economic sovereignty as our last remaining state assets - including New Zealand Post and TVNZ - were sold into foreign ownership.

"The public knows this. That is why they will elect a Labour-led Government next weekend," Mr Hodgson said.

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