When it comes to taxpayer handouts, this Government is up there with best, but that kind of generosity will always be facing scrutiny, writes Bryce Edwards.

Today marks a qualitative shift in the highly contentious asset sales programme with the launch of the Mighty River Power shares offer, writes Bryce Edwards.

It is a judgment that effectively says to the Crown, "You've won this time but we're watching", writes Audrey Young.

It is little wonder that after four long years of failing to get a hit in health, Shearer has opted for experience, writes Claire Trevett.

Much ink is being spilt and airtime apparently wasted on the annual conference of a political party that is currently polling at 0.1%, writes Bryce Armstrong.

National's damage control strategy has been to try to paint Key's earlier contacts with SkyCity as perfectly normal, writes John Armstrong

Opinion polling out today suggests that the Government is on a knife edge - the next election could go either way, writes Bryce Edwards. The SkyCity report is the latest vulnerability for National.

Hekia Parata or no Hekia Parata in the job, Cabinet ministers had few illusions from the start.

Has there ever been an MP so widely condemned as Richard Prosser? Bryce Edwards finds answers in his political round-up.

Imagine an alternate reality in which a disgruntled caucus member leaks Labour leader David Shearer's first draft of his reshuffle, writes Claire Trevett.

It didn't take long for David Carter to settle in to his job in his first question time as Speaker - it was almost business as usual, writes Audrey Young.

It's a deal that doesn't make sense, or none that John Key is willing to own up to, writes Bryce Edwards. Our deal-making PM may, in the long term, get full value for his agreement to take 150 of Australia's refugees...

It seems every party has a solution to the issue of housing affordability, writes Bryce Edwards. The problem is that the solutions seem to be built to specifications set by polls

So exits Lockwood Smith as Parliament's Speaker - and to genuine and sustained applause from MPs from all parties, writes John Armstrong.

If the trio of 'state of the nation' leadership speeches are anything to go by, we're in for a boring political year, writes Bryce Edwards.

Officially, politics isn't happening at the moment, but there are some interesting developments and stories that are well worth reading, says Bryce Edwards

Reviews of the 2012 year in New Zealand politics have been abundant in the last few weeks.

Roll up! Roll-up! Hear the Singing Prime Minister. Watch the Bobbing Backbencher. See a true One Man Band joust with a de facto One Man Band, writes John Armstrong.

It is never easy seeing a dream lie in shreds, and for all the inevitability, the end of National MP Tau Henare's tilt to be Speaker was no exception, writes Claire Trevett.

"Is Brendan Horan going to devote his remaining time in Parliament to being a regular thorn in Winston Peters' side?" asks John Armstrong.

It was one small step for the Labour Party, but in terms of a morale boost it was one giant leap for party leader David Shearer, writes Claire Trevett.