National fires the first major shot in the lead-up to the election; a British scientist who had limbs amputated after catching meningitis was probably infected at the Wellington laboratory she worked in; Dunedin Hospital in "code black"; Eden Park's Rugby World Cup makeover begins.
NZ Herald
The paper leads with the weekend's National Party conference, and says the party's refusal to say how it will pay for bigger tax cuts than Labour leaves more questions than answers over possible reductions it might make in Government spending. The New Zealand Herald's sport headline reads 'Demolition Double - First Australia, Then The Stand', reporting that Eden Park has begun its Rugby World Cup makeover, after the stadium saw the All Blacks defeat the Wallabies on Saturday.
Dominion Post
In The Dominion Post, a British scientist who lost limbs after catching meningitis while working in Wellington has received an apology and an admission she probably caught the disease at the lab she worked at. Weather woes hit Wellington again over the weekend with thunderous downpours causing at least 20 big slips around the city, blocking roads, burying parked cars and forcing residents from their homes.
The Press
The paper says National has fired the first major shot in the lead-up to the election, outlining plans for extra tax cuts and billions of dollars of additional spending on infrastructure. A Christchurch man got a 'shocking' response from Meridian Energy after his power went out on Saturday night. Tony Brett was told to check if the meter was still ticking over and got a nasty electric shock when he tried to open the power box.
Otago Daily Times
The ODT says Dunedin Hospital is in "code black" with the number of people needing treatment exceeding the beds available. John Key's plan to increase Crown debt to pay for extra spending on infrastructure has opened a key election battleground, with Prime Minister Helen Clark accusing National of taking risks with the economy. And The Otago Daily Times reports the Dunedin City Council appears likely to oppose a New Zealand Historic Places Trust proposal to register Carisbrook Stadium and the Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute building in Dunedin's Octagon as category one historic places.
