Week in politics

Leadership vacuum as Labour drifts

On the face of it, Labour would seem deserving of much applause for rule changes which now make the election of the party's leader a far better exercise in democracy.

Opinion: Still plenty in the fight for the worst job in politics

There is an old saying that being the Leader of the Opposition is the worst job in politics. The role has one rather large thing going for it, however.

Shearer's new chief of staff could sharpen policy

A boadicea with a Mona Lisa smile plus a wickedly infectious chuckle to boot?

Key afflicted by a sudden bout of crisis management

Journalists are by nature deeply suspicious of politicians and the motives which drive them, and vice-versa.

Others find Bridges difficult man to cross

It is a rare day in Parliament that someone gets the better of Winston Peters.

Opinion: Should Labour bring back Cunliffe if Shearer goes?

When rumours of a Labour leadership coup broke on Tuesday night, I bumped into a Green MP as I was racing back to the office.

Opinion: Where goes the Maori Party from here, Mr Flavell?

Opinion: Where goes the Maori Party from here, Mr Flavell?

Don't write the Maori Party off yet.

Opinion: Key steals a march on his opponents once again

National's decision - very much John Key's decision - to bite the bullet and set a 2020 start for building the $2.9 billion Auckland City Rail Link is a political masterstroke.

Opinion: Key goes back into attack mode ahead of by-elections

They are a bunch of ''bozos''; Winston Peters' attacks on Chinese tourists are ''madness''; and Labour's promotion of a capital gains tax is a ''dog'' of a policy.

Opinion: Labour now the dog that barks at every passing car

What were they thinking?

Opinion: Greens try to smell democratic and still get things done

Opinion: Greens try to smell democratic and still get things done

As a gesture to the allergic and the asthmatic - a gesture which was inevitably interpreted by opponents as yet another tribute to the Gods of Political Correctness - last weekend's Greens' conference was officially ''fragrance-free''.

Opinion: Politics continues to make strange bedfellows indeed

It was bad news enough for Labour this week that two major opinion polls registered morale-sapping widening of the gulf in the party's support compared with National's rating - a gap which had begun to close in previous months.

Opinion: Asset sales millions flowing towards Christchurch

You do not have to burrow too deeply into the annual government accounts to uncover the untold story of last week's Budget.

Opinion: Government's pragmatism trumps principle in Budget

One of the reasons why governments slowly decay and die is that the longer they are in office the more prone they become to ugly pragmatism and compromise of principle.

Opinion: Who cares about Gilmore?

Does anyone outside the Wellington beltway really give a toss about Aaron Gilmore, a parliamentary nobody who beyond fulfilling his duties as backbench lobby fodder is an utter and complete irrelevance when it comes to matters of real political import?

Opinion: Horomia's political shoes not going to be easy to fill

Opinion: Horomia's political shoes not going to be easy to fill

The man who usually walked alongside the Labour leader to guide them on to a marae was not there this time. Instead, Labour's leader and his caucus were going on to a small marae in Tolaga Bay to farewell him.

Labour's power policy sends National a jolt

In the week or so since it revealed its hugely controversial plan to slash power prices, Labour has bared its teeth in venomous fashion at anyone questioning the wisdom of breaking up the wholesale electricity market just as it is showing signs of functioning as intended.

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Week in politics