Finance Minister Bill English likes to run. Distance, that is, not sprints.
And so it was when he read his Budget speech to the House today: a solid effort from start to finish, with no flashy sprints but no slowing to a crawl.
Watched intently by his family in the gallery, Mr English told Parliament the world had moved from the best of times to the worst of times.
His colleagues looked suitably sombre as he said he was scrapping the tax cuts promised for the next two years, that payments into the National Superannuation Fund would be suspended, spending growth had been cut to $1.45 billion and the deficit had grown to $7.74 billion.
They dutifully clapped as he announced increased funding for health, education, law and order, and corrections.
But there was no hiding the yawns as his speech passed the 20 minute-mark, then 30, then 40. Sensing the end, the mood shifted and Mr English crossed the finish-line in 50-odd minutes to a standing ovation from his National Party colleagues.
Labour leader Phil Goff's dissection of the budget was delivered in a more frenetic fashion and he'd worked up quite a sweat by the time he crossed the finish line.
Along the way, he accused National of robbing generations X and Y of superannuation by deferring payments, and claimed National had inherited an "economy in good shape".
That claim sent the Government benches into orbit and when Prime Minister John Key took the baton from Mr English, he accused his opposite of "being asleep when they were reading the (pre-election fiscal update)".
"They are a credit card opposition. It's whack it on the bill, Phil," he cried to roars of approval.
Finally, the House was alive and those not in the race were barracking in full voice.
