Otago Daily Times:

'Global Zero' - no nukes is good nukes

Gwynne Dyer — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:25:00 +1200

We have just had the second Nuclear Security Summit, in Seoul. It got surprisingly little attention from the international media although 53 countries attended.

Time to spice up cruise-ship visitors' experience

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 05:26:00 +1300

It is time for us to start interacting more assertively with cruise-ship visitors, reckons Chris Skellett, of Warrington.

Smoko: Immigrants- co-builders of our future

Simon Cunliffe — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +1300

I have been thinking about immigrants of late. And I'm partly prompted to put pen to paper about them by the snide, patronising and sometimes outright racist attitudes that are thoughtlessly propagated about them.

Pattern of public service cuts becoming all too familiar

John Armstrong — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +1300

The pattern is familiar by now. But that does not make it any easier for those affected. Or the process any less cynical.

When moths collide: Cordial approach might help our MPs see sense

Elspeth McLean — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +1300

Was it a gamble? Could I trust the Queen of Cookery to do the right thing by my Anzac biscuits, or would she be tempted to let them go limp and lose the snap we believed necessary in an A and P show prize-winner?

Smoko: Demonising the innocent endeavours of science

Simon Cunliffe — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +1300

The word "science" come from the Latin root scientia, which means knowledge.

Power shift: no need to panic

Gwynne Dyer — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +1300

Last Wednesday, just as Chinese Vice-president Xi Jinping arrived in the United States for a four-day visit, US President Barack Obama told an audience of American workers in Milwaukee: "Manufacturing is coming back!"

Question mark over Cunliffe's ranking

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:30:00 +1300

The final shape of Labour leader David Shearer's new front bench will be announced this afternoon but late yesterday a question mark remained as to whether it would include defeated leadership challenger David Cunliffe.

How Labour voters got the blues

Mark Price — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:25:00 +1300

Amid the rubble of its 2011 election-night defeat, Labour's loss of the party vote in Dunedin South stood out as a singular "disaster". The seat, traditionally regarded as "safe Labour", swung to National. Mark Price takes a closer look where the votes went.

National-Maori deal 'to address poverty'

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:41:03 +1300

Prime Minister John Key says the support deal with the Maori Party focuses heavily on getting results in education, housing and unemployment, particularly youth unemployment.

National and Maori Party pen deal

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:06:54 +1300

Developing Whanau Ora, a ministerial committee on poverty and a new focus for Te Puni Kokiri are the centrepiece of an agreement reached today between National and the Maori Party on confidence and supply.

Paula Bennett loses Waitakere seat

Matthew Backhouse — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:34:59 +1300

Cabinet minister Paula Bennett has lost her Waitakere seat by 11 votes to Labour's Carmel Sepuloni after official election results were released today.

Cunliffe looks to Labour's newbies

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:08:50 +1300

David Cunliffe's hopes of securing the Labour leadership rest on the party's six Maori MPs and newcomers to Parliament.

Robertson backs Shearer's bid

Claire Trevett — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:02:04 +1300

Labour MP Grant Robertson has announced he will run to be the deputy leader of the Labour Party and is supporting the leadership bid of David Shearer.

Cunliffe not promising to buy back assets

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:39:43 +1300

Labour leadership aspirant David Cunliffe has moved to clarify his position on the buyback of state assets.

National able to form a government

Amelia Romanos — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:14:42 +1300

National now officially has enough support to form a Government after signing deals with Act and United Future.

Confidence and supply agreement focus of party hui

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:29:00 +1300

The Maori Party hui over a proposed confidence and supply agreement with National began last night but ministerial positions would not be discussed, Maori Party president Pem Bird told The New Zealand Herald.

Scrutineers sometimes do more than just observe voting process

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:26:00 +1300

What do election scrutineers do and are they useful? John Neilson, a polling place manager, examines these questions.

Cunliffe confident of win

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:30:00 +1300

Labour MP David Cunliffe is still confident he can win the party's leadership contest against David Shearer, saying he believed at least 6 to 10 MPs were either undecided or could change their minds - enough to give him the win.

New MPs in the money

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:29:00 +1300

Twenty-five new members of Parliament will pick up a pay packet of at least $141,800 - a huge pay rise for some of the newcomers.

Ruthless redirection huge task for new Labour leader

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:26:30 +1300

Prepare the high altar for sacrifice. The Labour Party can dither no longer. Some of its most sacred cows are in need of slaughtering.

An able and respected leader

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:26:00 +1300

It will come as little consolation to Phil Goff that friends and erstwhile foes have been so generous in their post-election assess- ments of the man and his career.

New Dunedin North MP prepares for Parliament

Amelia Romanos — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:35:39 +1300

While three Davids in the Labour Party have had the lion's share of the spotlight this week, a fourth is quietly preparing to move into Parliament.

ACT deal with National expected this week

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:08:48 +1300

Act expects to ink a new coalition agreement with the National Party by the end of the weekend which may include a seat at the Cabinet table, MP John Banks says.

NZ First MP victim of Twitter parody

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:11:45 +1300

Within days of being elected, New Zealand First MP Andrew Williams is a cause for controversy on Twitter.

Labour leader contenders talk up their visions

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:53:54 +1300

Labour leadership contenders are publicly talking up their visions for reinvigorating the party as they try to drum up support within caucus.

Goff's off - race is on

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:30:00 +1300

The contenders have been named, the date has been set and the race is on for the Labour Party leadership.

Election shaded by fate of errant lamb

Elspeth McLean — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:26:00 +1300

My companion slamming on the brakes to avoid turning an errant lamb into jellymeat as we travelled to a Tapanui family gathering was the most heart-stopping event of election night for me.

Leadership race is on for Labour

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:23:40 +1300

The contenders have been named, the date has been set, and the race is on for the Labour Party leadership.

Labour MPs arrive for 'robust' discussions

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:44:01 +1300

Labour MPs have begun arriving for their first caucus meeting since the election, with most saying they expect robust discussions.

Parker edges ahead of Cunliffe in leadership race

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:41:43 +1300

Labour's caucus will have to choose between a ticket of David Cunliffe and Nanaia Mahuta, or David Parker and Grant Robertson as their new leadership team - and although Mr Parker appears to have the edge, it is a close contest.

Banks tipped for Cabinet

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:32:00 +1300

New Act New Zealand MP John Banks talked up his party's business-focused credentials after his meeting with Prime Minister John Key yesterday for a confidence and supply agreement.

Blue shift in the South Dunedin spectrum

Eileen Goodwin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:25:00 +1300

There are decisive pockets of red among the blue, but Dunedin South is not the Labour stronghold it once was.

Mana split on success of election

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:09:26 +1300

The Mana Party seems to be split in opinion over how it did in Saturday's election.

One-part referendum vote still counts

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:26:36 +1300

People who answered only one question in the MMP referendum are being reassured that their votes will still count.

Opinion: 6 reasons National won

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:57:16 +1300

John Armstrong of The New Zealand Herald puts forward six reasons for National's victory on Saturday.

A colorful crop of new MPs

Hayden Donnell — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:35:20 +1300

A singing TV weatherman-turned-entertainer and a former mayor famous for urinating on a tree are among a colourful crop of new MPs set to enter parliament.

Maori tribes eye asset sales

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:00:10 +1300

An alliance of Maori tribes plan to buy up to 20 per cent of any state-owned power companies put up for partial sale by the new National Government.

Key predicts Cunliffe will lead Labour

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:18:24 +1300

Prime Minister John Key has made his pick for the new leader of the Labour party.

Select committees give NZ First power: Peters

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:11:10 +1300

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters insists the party is not facing three years of irrelevancy, and can achieve reform through select committees and by keeping the Government under intense scrutiny.

Dismal turnout as 1 million don't bother to vote

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:55:42 +1300

A million eligible New Zealanders did not bother to vote in Saturday's election, producing the lowest turnout in percentage terms in 120 years.

Goff and King expected to step aside

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:47:07 +1300

Labour's leadership team of Phil Goff and Annette King are expected to announce when they will stand down at a caucus meeting tomorrow - and those waiting to take their places have begun openly jostling, with David Cunliffe saying he is "taking soundings'' on his chances.

Greens weight options after 'great night'

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:34:23 +1300

Saturday may have been "a great night to be a Green'' as the party posted its best ever result, but the Greens missed out on the bigger presence they were eyeing and are disappointed their natural allies Labour suffered a stinging defeat.

Opinion: Six reasons National won the election

John Armstrong — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:39:55 +1300

New Zealand Herald political columnist John Armstrong lays out the reasons for National's victory in the general election.

Straight down to business

Dene Mackenzie — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:32:00 +1300

Prime Minister John Key will quickly form the new government after voters overwhelmingly supported National in the party vote on Saturday night.

Goff holds tongue on leadership plans

Dene Mackenzie — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:30:00 +1300

The challenge within the Labour Party to decide its next leader and deputy leader has the potential to split the party apart after Labour's hammering at the polls on Saturday night.

Dead heat: 14-day wait while special votes counted