Labour is riding high in the polls. The latest Fairfax poll shows support for Labour has increased by a whopping 2.4%.

With the gap between the two parties now at only 26.2% National will be starting to worry. There’s a real risk that National could lose this election, particularly if before November 26 John Key is caught dealing P to primary school children and Bill English catches religion and decides to tithe 10% of our taxes to the Destiny Church.

But even if those events do not transpire, there are good reasons for optimism, not least because National’s support parties are only slightly less toxic than a curry-fart. ACT may still be wiped out, if Banks and Brash don’t actually start to communicate with each other, while the Maori Party has become largely irrelevant and will probably take a pounding in November.

The signs for optimism are everywhere. For example, we are in the midst of a Rugby World Cup, and it’s clear to everyone, even God Himself, that New Zealand will win. Do you know when we last won the thing? That’s right, 1987, an election year, an election that Labour won. Even if He Who Must Not Be Spoken Of was finance minister at the time. And even though Peter Dunne was re-elected as a Labour MP.

So it’s all tracking along nicely, and Labour will be back in control very soon. But if by some miracle or, more likely, massive electoral fraud perpetrated by its opponents (aided by shadowy forces and the PSA) Labour does not manage to regain office, then there’s always next time. 2014 is looking even more positive. It will be the 100th anniversary of the commencement of World War One, and if that event won’t deserve a change of government then I don’t know what will.