Congratulations to Party Central for putting gender equality ahead of diversity when it comes to the ranking criteria for selecting the next crop of Labour MPs.

Many of Labour's potential voters will be less than impressed with its proposal to ensure that more women are elected as MPs, writes Bryce Edwards.

"Is a noose slowly being tightened around the Prime Minister's neck?" asks John Armstrong.

Any suggestion of a full merger between the Maori Party and Mana remains as likely as Act merging with the Greens, writes Claire Trevett.

The resignation of Pita Sharples from the leadership of the Maori Party may be a landmark in the demise of pan-Maori politics, writes Bryce Edwards.

Renewal, regeneration, rebirth. No matter what you call it, no political party can escape it.

One can only hope that John Key doesn't run his Cabinet meetings the way he is running the Intelligence and Security Committee meeting, writes Audrey Young.

Pita Sharples' resignation may be too little too late as far as strengthening the party's chances of surviving as a parliamentary force goes, writes John Armstrong.

Saturday's Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election result has surely focused the minds of those involved in the bitter divide between the Mana and Maori parties, writes Bryce Edwards.

If polling tracks were Roads of National Significance, then National is in a people-mover on the Waikato Expressway, writes Claire Trevett.

Labour desperately needs to review both how it takes the fight to National and how it should treat its would-be partners in government - the Greens and NZ First.

A miracle took place in Parliament this week when National turned wine into water.

The inquiry's report was predictably dismissed by National. But it makes some valid points about the plight of manufacturers, writes John Armstrong.

Winston Peters' timepiece has reached utu o'clock and how he is enjoying the resultant chiming, writes Claire Trevett. United Future leader Peter Dunne was the first to be struck.

If the resignation of Peter Dunne has left a bad smell around Parliament, then it is the stench of red herrings rotting in rather large quantity, writes John Armstrong.

Talk of any byelection in Dunne's Ohariu seat is premature, writes John Armstrong. An early election is in the realm of the fanciful.

Peter Dunne's downfall remains quite a bizarre mystery with many unanswered questions and issues, writes Bryce Edwards.

Stripping honours for reasons other than traditional crimes, is a relatively new phenomenon sparked by the global financial crisis, writes Claire Trevett.

The new food in schools programme can be seen as a significant victory or defeat for both the left and right - depending on how you look at it, writes Bryce Edwards

It had all the makings of a classic whodunit, writes John Armstrong. Or should that be a who-Dunne-it?

Mana leader Hone Harawira spat at the porridge in disgust, writes Claire Trevett. Prime Minister John Key thought the porridge was just right.

National's approach is about as "in line" with the Children's Commissioner's report as the atmosphere on Mars is "in line" with that on Earth, writes John Armstrong.

More and more candidates for Parliament are coming from a media background, leading to the 'celebritisation' of elections, writes Bryce Edwards.

Several official reports out this week raise questions about the integrity of public life in New Zealand, writes Bryce Edwards..

Unless National offers a better loyalty scheme there will be little incentive to apply for shares in Meridian and Genesis, writes John Armstrong.

It's usually the Terminator who says "I'll be back".

Judith Collins' abandonment of the MMP Review recommendations has provoked severe criticism, claiming democracy is being disregarded, writes Bryce Edwards..

National's latest budget undercuts many of the areas in which Labour has been attempting to campaign on, writes Bryce Edwards.

In the 1980s Australian show The Comedy Club, the naughty schoolgirl Jophesine had a standard defence to accusations of wrongdoing.

When it comes to consensus, National is the one which refused to budge in its opposition to the MMP commission's most controversial finding, writes John Armstrong.