Ryan Bridge: Centrist voters will be confused so far this election

If you're a centrist, maybe softer, swing voter in this election, you're right to feel, so far at least, the whole thing's a bit of a ruse.

The left and right blocs are basically going to run campaigns against each other, rather than for something else.

How do we know this?

Last Sunday the Nats put out budget responsibility rules they so far haven't been responsible enough to follow themselves.

Their main argument here is basically, at least we'll do better than the other lot.

Which, if you're worried about debt, is probably true.

Labour is boxing itself into a fiscal corner.

If it is to be believed, Hipkins yesterday told me he would resign as Prime Minister before introducing any tax being proposed by the parties whose support he would need to form a government.

And he'd sooner walk away from talks than entertain any of them.

So, no inheritance tax, no wealth tax, no land tax, no nothing. Just Labour's CGT.

And that tax, remember, relies on 3% growth in house prices every single year to wash its own face.

If it doesn't, then what?

The problem with ruling out every other form of revenue-raising, while at the same time promising the unions a roll-back of Brooke Van Valden's gender bargaining changes, means there isn't just the perception of a hole in the books, but an actual stonking big one.

I'm told Barbara Edmonds is busy beavering away on the books but will have to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

If you're leftie left, you'll be mad Hipkins won't go further on tax., If you're righty right, you'll be mad Luxon hasn't yet balanced the books.

The basis of this campaign though, is going to be attack.

The big parties are not so much telling us how or why New Zealand will be a better place under their stewardship, but rather why it'd be a disaster under their opponents.

Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.