Alex's election diary: When the sale comes first and the truth comes second: National Party campaign launch told to "forget about the price tag"

Forget about the price tag.

That's what the singers were telling National Party delegates as they filed into their election campaign launch at Sky City Casino's convention centre in Auckland.

Officially it began National's election campaign. One which is being fought on which party can control spending more, get the books back to surplus and repay debt the fastest.

In his address to the launch, Prime Minister John Key told delegates what he would spend the proceeds from his partial privatisations on.

Not a good start when delegates are first told: "When the sale comes first, and the truth comes second" from singer Jessie J's song 'Price Tag' which was being sung by two singers as delegates sat down before Key's address.

It wasn't all sitting down though as National MPs Chris Auchinvole and Nicky Wagner had a twirl to Amy Winehouse's 'Valerie' as they waited for party president Peter Goodfellow to make his opening remarks to the campaign launch.

There were mutters along the press bench to the tune of 'so much for brighter future' as journalists fell over each other (and their computer cables) due to the near-complete darkness of the room (even an hour before anyone else arrived), which held about a thousand people but had splatterings of empty seats.

Most exciting was when a small number of protestors broke in during Key's address, shouting 'Stop the war on the poor' before being ushered out by security guards as the Prime Minister called after them to stay and listen, as they might learn something. 

Price Tag

Here's a taste of what delegates were told:

Seems like everybody's got a price,

I wonder how they sleep at night.

When the sale comes first,

And the truth comes second,

Just stop for a minute and

Smile

 

Why is everybody so serious?

Acting so damn mysterious?

Got your shades on your eyes

And your heels so high

That you can't even have a good time

 

[Pre-chorus:]

Everybody look to their left (yeah)

Everybody look to their right (uh)

Can you feel that (yeah)

We're paying with love tonight

 

[Chorus:]

It's not about the money, money, money

We don't need your money, money, money

We just wanna make the world dance,

Forget about the price tag

Ain't about the (uh) Cha-Ching Cha-Ching

Ain't about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling

Wanna make the world dance,

Forget about the price tag.