Electorate jigsaw a tricky one to work out
Where in the world does it make sense that the Clutha district is not in the Clutha electorate, that a decent chunk of Dunedin’s southern suburbs are in Dunedin North, and that the deeply inland...
Opinion
Not too much football over mental health
Not too much football over mental health
In December, when the long-awaited report on mental health and addiction services was released, its authors included within its 219 pages a plea to politicians not use the subject as a political...
MPs thought carefully on euthanasia
MPs thought carefully on euthanasia
Not every issue politicians debate is a matter of life and death but on Wednesday that was, literally, the topic of the day.
Legislation a legacy for totemic Donald
Legislation a legacy for totemic Donald
Fourteen years ago this week, Green Party co-leader Rod Donald suddenly, shockingly died.
Presents from Santa Shane's bulging sack
Presents from Santa Shane's bulging sack
Father Christmas came early this week, in the form of Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and his Santa Sack, otherwise known as the Provincial Growth Fund.
Human side of politics on display
Human side of politics on display
Contrary to what some might believe, politicians are actually people.
Members' worthwhile Bills left to languish
Members' worthwhile Bills left to languish
A few years ago, Parliament reviewed the rules concerning member's Bills, partly in the hope of allowing more MPs a chance of getting their proposed law reforms considered.
National ganging up as election year nears
National ganging up as election year nears
Gangs and politicians have a symbiotic relationship: as long as we have had gangs, politicians have been pledging to crack down on them.
Dowie positives outweigh any residual negatives
Dowie positives outweigh any residual negatives
In a race of any kind a clean get-away is essential, and Invercargill National MP Sarah Dowie has managed just that.
Top news: Opportunity Party to relaunch
Top news: Opportunity Party to relaunch
What if you threw a party and nobody came?
Electorate change imminent
Electorate change imminent
This day two years ago, overseas postal voting for the 2017 election had just started.
Curran's career in perspective
Curran's career in perspective
Nisha Vijayan is a well-liked and highly-skilled theatre nurse at Dunedin Hospital.
Southern list MP facing challenging times
Southern list MP facing challenging times
Former National Prime Minister Keith Holyoake's famous advice that first-term backbench MPs should learn to "breathe through their nose" before trying to make their mark on Parliament has echoed...
Being busy is not always being effective
Being busy is not always being effective
You could forgive Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean for thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence ... or at least the other side of the Alps.
Curran shows she is back in business
Curran shows she is back in business
Politicians often say they want to know what voters are thinking. While the cynical may have their doubts, generally, that is actually the case.
Southern say: MPs wrestling with life and death
Southern say: MPs wrestling with life and death
Machiavelli wrote that politics have no relation to morals, but in recent days morality and politics have been at the forefront of southern MPs' minds.
Farm debt mediation Bill news this week's offering
Farm debt mediation Bill news this week's offering
Politics this week offered proof that if at first you do not succeed, you should try, try and try again.
Pursuing a reliable polling method
Pursuing a reliable polling method
There are many half-truths and untruths told in politics, the biggest of them all being "I don't pay attention to polls".
Talking tech, cheese rolls and scones
Talking tech, cheese rolls and scones
Computers and government have been a major issue this past fortnight with the fallout from National accessing Budget data still proving dangerously radioactive to a range of politicians and civil...
Southern MP heard over noise of Budget
Southern MP heard over noise of Budget
In Budget week it is really quite an achievement to get anything other than the country's finances on the national political agenda.