Ever since political comedian Tom Sainsbury portrayed Paula Bennett as a "panini and bowl latte lover" in his impersonation, things have gotten a little out of control.
Prime Minister John Key has announced an expansion of Government subsidies for apprenticeships in a major speech on how to make New Zealand a "magnet for investment".
John Key's promotion of Simon Bridges, Nikki Kaye, Amy Adams and Jonathan Coleman is designed to rejuvenate and modernise the National Party Cabinet before next year's election.
There will be no new policy deal between National and the Greens, with the chasm between the parties widening over policies such as the Government's proposed SkyCity convention centre deal and state asset sales.
The Government is planning "significant'' changes to the Crown Minerals Act next year to make it easier for miners to explore and then extract minerals, and it will consult the public and industry soon.
National has huge support for one of its most draconian new law-and-order policies - the power to keep someone in prison after serving his or her sentence if the prisoner is deemed dangerous enough.
National's attack on Labour over the alleged $17 billion "hole'' in its economic plan ignores more than $1 billion a year in proceeds from the state-owned assets National would sell and the assets generated by Super Fund contributions, Labour's David Parker says.
Labour leader Phil Goff and Prime Minister John Key have crossed swords for the first time in the 2011 election campaign in a head to head debate tonight.