I’ve just finished watching TV3’s 6pm news – Duncan Garner’s coverage of John Key squirming in the house was almost too much to bear. He looked decidedly uncomfortable under a heavy barrage of criticism from Labour.

I’m guessing the best thing for him to do was to sit there like a man and take it, but it was embarrassing television.

From my perspective he’s had a hard run at it lately. He was badgered about the Therapeutics bill; about his leadership of the Labour Party; about his turnaround on sending troops to Iraq – the one thing he needs to learn real quick is to be consistent, in his personal views and in his party view.

The National Party conference brought home their yawning lack of policy. Key’s comments that he didn’t want to release policy because he feared Labour would steal it just doesn’t ring true. Surely if he declares his hand Labour can only then be seen to copy or follow in the footsteps of National. To the lay person it smacks of a lack of commitment and/or actual lack of policy – I’m predicting the latter.

My message to National and John Key: stop doing the “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours” and get some real policy out there.