OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Labour's trusty aim a bit astrayCOMMENT: After Green Party unearthed documents showing Key's lawyer name-dropped "PM" to get a meeting with McClay we learned a great deal about Key.03 May 09:25 PM
OpinionFrances Cook: John Key's trust problemCOMMENT: This is exactly the sort of personal connection to a scandal that John Key's been trying to avoid, writes Frances Cook.28 Apr 10:20 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: National's five new taxesNot so long ago, when trying to capitalise on Labour's campaign against housebuyers with Chinese-sounding surnames, John Key did not believe any measure was warranted, writes Claire Trevett.28 Apr 12:58 AM
OpinionAudrey YoungAudrey Young: Ex-PM off to solid start, says McCullyCOMMENT: Murray McCully believes Helen Clark had the best start possible in the first phase of her bid to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations, writes Audrey Young.27 Apr 09:34 PM
OpinionBarry Soper: MPs tough it out on overseas tripCOMMENT: As a group of MPs heads to South America to strengthen ties with overseas parliaments, Barry Soper looks at how exactly the public benefits from the trips.13 Apr 10:15 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Little's stunt leaves PM with finger in the dykeCOMMENT: Labour leader Andrew Little put on a show of going the extra mile by releasing his income tax records and calling on Key to follow suit, writes Claire Trevett.13 Apr 09:20 PM
OpinionBarry Soper: Labour in need of consistent messageCOMMENT: This year it's gone from bad to worse for Labour, writes Barry Soper. Even though John Key lost the flag debate he's untainted with National at 50 percent.12 Apr 09:16 PM
OpinionAudrey YoungAudrey Young: Report nails what's really importantCOMMENT: New Zealand has no shortage of tea-stained reports about the failures of Child Youth and Family and its hard-working, well-meaning staff.08 Apr 05:00 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Sabre-waving Peters skirmishing on all frontsCOMMENT: Winston Peters claims SuperGold card concessions are under attack and criticises the Governmennt over its handling of offshore trusts, writes Claire Trevett.06 Apr 08:15 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Is Winston Peters NZ's Donald Trump?Calling somebody Trumpesque has become the insult du jour in Parliament, way up there with calling somebody Muldoonist or the offpsring of Margaret Thatcher.16 Mar 07:10 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Key faces more colds as farming sneezesIt was an ominous sign when Prime Minister John Key wandered into his weekly post-Cabinet press conference and announced, "I've got a bit of a head cold."10 Mar 12:24 AM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Littler Britain still too small to change ensignIt has long been a bad habit of New Zealand that just when we have a chance to beat Australia at something, we choke.02 Mar 08:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Signs are there that the Crusher of old is backIf further evidence of Collins' reincarnation was needed, it came in her response to questions about police being urged to review their pursuit practices, writes Claire Trevett.18 Feb 12:00 AM
OpinionToby ManhireToby Manhire: That's right Sunshine, MPs back at workThe plump green upholstery of the parliamentary debating chamber puckered with terror this week, as the backsides of our elected representatives nestled in after a couple of months away.11 Feb 11:11 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Unlike Key to throw toys over dildo incidentGiven a lot of adult novelty items on the market are from the US and Canada, the TPP should at least make commemorating our national day a bit cheaper, writes Claire Trevett.10 Feb 08:35 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: PM's absence devalues dayMr Key's decision is understandable. There is only so long a Prime Minister can sit and look as if he is at someone else's beck and call, writes Claire Trevett.04 Feb 08:35 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettWaitangi guests prepared as usualIt has all worked out in the end and tomorrow Key will again walk down that aisle toward Ngapuhi with a chorus of protesters as guests, writes Claire Trevett.03 Feb 08:31 PM
OpinionFran O'SullivanChina being kept in loop with TPP briefingsIt would be a big step for powerhouse to accede to TPP agreement, with intellectual protection a thorny issue.03 Feb 06:10 PM
OpinionRodney HideRodney Hide: Greens move to centre of roadThe Greens' mad rush for the centre is a huge about-face. It's like Winston Peters welcoming refugees or Peter Dunne declaring himself communist.30 Jan 04:00 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Key pulls trusty lexicon as leaders get in a stateOne of the perils of being a third-term Prime Minister is that you run out of buzzwords and have to start recycling the old ones, writes Claire Trevett.27 Jan 08:35 PM
WorldDemocratic debate: Continuity vs change"For anyone who has paid only scant attention to the Democratic nomination contest, it took only a few minutes to grasp the state of the race."18 Jan 07:50 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Lessons in John Key stunt wash-upCOMMENT: John Key and his advisers, radio jokers and petitioners all need to reflect on their roles, writes Claire Trevett.21 Dec 08:25 AM
WorldDebate offers no clarity for RepublicansLack of clear winners echoes uncertainty over who will claim party nomination.16 Dec 08:59 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Key goes for cringes in extra-curricular pursuitsSpare a thought for Bill English's family this Christmas, for he has come up with a belter of a way to spend the summer.16 Dec 08:35 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Political skill more than mayor formalityTo attack your rival for being experienced, and to claim your biggest asset is being ignorant of the political process, is perverse, writes Brian Rudman.15 Dec 08:32 PM
OpinionAudrey YoungAudrey Young: Three wise men and a childish stuntThree wise men and four idiots featured in Parliament's last question time of the year.09 Dec 04:00 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Collins' next move - bring back the CrusherJudith Collins has put on a good impression of bread dough, which is left to rise once, then has the bejeezus pummelled out of it before being left to rise again.09 Dec 04:00 PM
OpinionFran O'SullivanCollins not the one to watch - it's PaulaCOMMENT: She doesn't have Tim Groser's intellectual subtlety and flair but Paula Bennett does have a strong opportunistic streak, writes Fran O'Sullivan.08 Dec 08:32 PM
OpinionAudrey YoungJudith Collins' return to Cabinet: John Key had no choice but to reinstate 'the Crusher'COMMENT: Yes, she has a Machiavellian style, but that hardly disqualifies her for high political office, writes Audrey Young.07 Dec 04:00 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Coded messages go back and forth in reshuffleLabour MPs can learn an important lesson from leader Andrew Little's reshuffle. It is that he does not like to feel beholden to anyone, writes Claire Trevett.02 Dec 08:35 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: More funding ought to equal more transparencySpare a penny for the poor? This time around, the poor in question are not the homeless or the children, but the MPs themselves, writes Claire Trevett.25 Nov 08:30 PM
OpinionAudrey YoungAudrey Young: Bolger hopes NZ mature enough to change flagFormer Prime Minister Jim Bolger says it is time to change the New Zealand flag and he hopes New Zealand has "the maturity" to do it and to look forward and not back.16 Nov 08:27 PM
