Mike Hosking: This campaign is a slam dunk for the Opposition

In some respects, National's roading plan and its $24 billion price tag is not an election game changer because the state of the country is such that we have issues like crime and the cost of living that will determine votes.

But what is uplifting about it is that at last we can see the end of the crazed ideology that has crippled our economy over the past six years.

Yes, the weather has played into National's game plan. But the roading infrastructure, or lack of it, has been appallingly exposed this past year.

Until it's gone, you don't realise just how important it was.

Historically, infrastructure comes with a bit of a yawn because it's years away, it will almost certainly be delayed and voters tend to focus on the here and now.

The Puhoi extension road just opened North of Auckland is also playing into National's hands. That is a game changer. It is a living, tangible example of how brilliant roads actually are.

The Transmission Gully project has had a similar effect on people. You can't beat a faster, easier, more productive journey and only roads deliver that with the flexibility that people like.

Also playing into National's hands is the Labour Government in a two-fold way.

The first part is in their criticism of the cost and the second part is their record on spending.

Labour are in no position to talk about infrastructure or spending. Ask them how much they have spent on light rail in Auckland and what they have to show for that.

Ask them how much they have spent in Wellington on getting Wellington moving, which isn't moving at all. Billions have been wasted going exactly nowhere.

It’s a joke.

As for where National get the money; well the aforementioned examples double here as well.

There's $7 billion+ for Wellington and hundreds of millions for light rail. This Government has spent more than any Government, it's taxed more than any Government and there is no shortage of billions to be redirected.

This is the Government of the $300,000 speed hump. Three of those are a million bucks!

It's a treasure trove of money just waiting to be used for productive reasons, on economy growing ideas.

For National, campaigning on things like infrastructure has never been easier, for a party that has an opponent with the record as bad as it is.

Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.