That didn’t last long

Stuff reports:

It seems Labour leader David Cunliffe’s “sledge pledge”, in which he promised a “positive” election campaign, hasn’t got through to Dunedin South MP Clare Curran.

Curran has branded rival MPs nasty, homophobic and foul-mouthedin an interview with a student newspaper.

The article was published online on Sunday – as Cunliffe was delivering a keynote speech.

“This election campaign is not about dirty tricks or dodgy deals; smear campaigns and a personality cult,” Cunliffe told delegates, including Curran.

Later, he told reporters the public was fed up with political debate centred on personal attacks rather than policy.

“We want to run a clean, positive campaign.”

Asked how he would deal with MPs who indulged in insults he said: “That is for me to think about in the cold of dark of night.”

In an interview with the University of Otago’s Critic newspaper, Curran said Prime Minster John Key was her least favourite MP and that Attorney-General Chris Finlayson was nasty.

She also called North Shore MP Maggie Barry foul-mouthed and alleged Third Whip Jami-Lee Ross had made homophobic comments about NZ First MP Denis O’Rourke during a parliamentary debate.

Yeah, no personal attacks from Labour. Lasted less than a day.

UPDATE: Critic tells me that the interview was done before the pledge. However it still shows how hilarious is that after years of unrelenting attacks and negativity, Labour has suddenly worked out the public don’t like it, and are now saying how they want to run a positive campaign.