When Russel Norman announced he was standing down as the Greens' co-leader, his legacy to his party seemed pretty obvious.

Despite John Key's claim that such antics are commonplace in by-elections, they are not, writes Claire Trevett. It is more traditional to emphasise how policies already under way will benefit the electorate in question, rather than promise new things.

Should New Zealanders have been kept in the dark about the 1080 threats for nearly four months? The answer, on balance, is yes, writes John Armstrong.

Yesterday's announcement is classic pork-barrelling, writes John Armstrong. It indicates National is seriously worried that Winston Peters may well carry off a victory.

Taking such an early lead over his National rival in the campaign will give Winston Peters' bandwagon even more momentum, writes John Armstrong. Peters' support registered at 35 per cent in the poll,

The self-appointed Pied Piper of the North, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, has the words "Follow Me" on the back of his campaign bus.

The enemy is no longer on a singular battlefield, the enemy is in every major town and city on the planet, writes Mike Hosking. So in sending the troops in, the purpose is what?

No sooner was the announcement made that New Zealand was heading to Iraq, the war of words broke out.

Herald political writer John Armstrong says the PM's decision to bypass the media when announcing his decision shows he is failing.

Try as it might, National has been unable to reframe this particular debate, writes John Armstrong. It's handicapped by the sheer complexity of its housing plan.

Normally, a new leader of the Opposition would relish the chance to boost his or her profile and start making some real waves through the platform offered by a byelection.

Gareth Morgan looked about as comfortable as the turkey before Christmas as he arrived at Ratana Pa yesterday, writes Claire Trevett.

'Je suis Aotearoa." It has a certain piquant charm and would get a great deal of public attention if it was chosen as the branding to unite New Zealanders of all hues, nationalities, races and....

It was a year of sorrows. It was a sorry excuse of a year. It was also a year of sorries. As of yesterday, they were still flowing.

Matt McCarten, the former enemy, is now seen as a calm and pragmatic influence in Labour who could play a crucial role in its resurrection, writes Audrey Young.

It is a time-honoured tactic for the Opposition. Identify the weakest link on the other side and target them remorselessly, writes Claire Trevett.

John Key now describes his relationship with Cameron Slater as "not a proactive one" - an empty, but very useful phrase, writes John Armstrong.

This past week has surely been the most difficult and ultimately demeaning one in the otherwise stellar political career of one John Phillip Key.

Xi Jinping has gone out of his way to forge a strong personal relationship with John Key on his visit.

The State Services Commission moves in mysterious ways, but none so perplexing as this week's weirdness surrounding the resignation of Roger Sutton as chief executive of the Canterbury Earthquake....

After weeks of things moving slowly in Labour, things are now moving very quickly indeed.

The words "future leader" have been the kiss of death for many a politician. Not so in Andrew Little's case, writes John Armstrong.

Taking the party organisation by the scruff of the neck and giving it a good shake might be a good start to ensuring his longevity, writes Brian Rudman.

Woe betide Green MP Steffan Browning, for who knew the Green Party could be quite so ruthless?

The possibility of NZ soldiers taken prisoner and appearing in beheading videos does not bear thinking about, let alone electorally, writes John Armstrong.

We are now halfway through the three-week marathon of what Labour likes to call hustings meetings for its leadership contestants but what Brian Edwards describes more colourfully as "cavorting....

The rotten smell of the contents of Nicky Hager's book Dirty Politics will linger around the Government this term, writes John Armstrong.

John Key's speech today outlining the National Government’s legislative and policy programme was unusually non-contentious, but offer hints of his real agenda.

It was not so much the strange case of the man of the cloth as the odd cut of the man's cloth.

The Prime Minister might get to choose who sits where in the Cabinet and on his front bench, but it seems National's caucus has a far more anarchic pecking order - one based on speed and punctuality just once every three years.