National's decision to potentially work with Winston Peters and New Zealand First after the next election is not without risk, writes Audrey Young.

The parliamentary year ended yesterday, and so it is time for the school prizegiving, writes Claire Trevett. For the middle year of a second-term Government, it was a surprisingly busy year.

To understand Paula Bennett's value to the National Party, you just have to see how much Labour cant stand her.

Their respective tones may have differed markedly, but National and Labour basically gave Winston Peters the same message yesterday, writes John Armstrong.

Everybody has distractions, writes Claire Trevett. In fact, when it comes to time, family and raising children is a far more time-consuming distraction than an affair.

Does Parata deserve to be pilloried after Phillipstown School's triumph in the courts? The answer is that such a judgment could catch any minister out, writes John Armstrong.

He stood before them, like Rafiki in the Lion King holding aloft the precious Simba. In this case, Simba was 20 minutes of flattery and a ream of promises.

Prime Minister John Key gave New Zealand wine to the Queen and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Getting to know the royals better appears to have confirmed Prime Minister John Key's view that New Zealand should remain with the monarchy - but the flag can go.

It's now half way through the leadership roadshow of the Labour candidates, known as the 'Three Stooges' by National, writes Claire Trevett.

The week's prize for barefaced cheek must surely go to the Greens, writes John Armstrong. With Parliament's Clerk of the House yesterday finally giving the okay for a non-binding referendum on National's asset sales policy,

Yesterday's launch of his bid for the Labour leadership was 100 per cent unadulterated David Cunliffe, writes John Armstrong.

As curbs on lending to home buyers with low deposits draw closer, one question that arises is how banks will do the rationing, writes Brian Fallow.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett often stands accused of taking a hard line on matters within her purview.

A Treasury document obtained by Labour details a host of "initiatives" in this year's Budget which would be paid for by the asset sales fund, writes John Armstrong.

Conference 2013 was meant to be the conference of good ideas. Political editor Audrey Young looks at whether it delivered.

Any faint hope that the politicians might agree to put the national interest ahead of petty politics has soured faster than a glass of milk in the hot sun.

It's hard not to get the impression that the Government and public servants are bullying journalists, writes Bryce Edwards.

Political journalists are livid, writes Bryce Edwards.They're angry with the Government and the arrangements that have led to the state surveillance of journalists.

That someone working for Parliamentary Service could consider it ok to release a Press Gallery journalist's phone records truly beggars belief, writes John Armstrong.

Nicky Hager's revelations and allegations suggest that the Defence Force is now monitoring New Zealand journalists, writes Bryce Edwards.

Two new publications illustrate the immense power and wealth that is concentrated amongst a miniscule group of NZ businesspeople, writes Bryce Edwards.

First Peter Dunne flipped and this week he flopped on the controversial GCSB reforms, writes Bryce Edwards.

Politics blogger Bryce Edwards examines reaction to Labour's leadership issues. "It's far from certain that Shearer is about to be toppled - especially due to the absence of a convincing alternative."

It's been a week of debates about economics, ethnicity and inequality, writes Bryce Edwards in his round-up of the week in politics.

If political parties have codes of conduct for social media, they are apparently flexible depending on how senior the MP is, writes Claire Trevett.

Bryce Edwards takes a closer look at a particularly interesting week in politics, with coup rumours, failed man bans and the launch of the 'Pakeha Party'

Claire Trevett writes: There is only one kind of coup in politics: the one that actually works. However, there are numerous varieties of attempted coups.

In getting the proposal off the table, Shearer has finally drawn on the well of authority inherent in his role as leader to bring the party to heel, writes John Armstrong.

Most Western intelligence agencies had analytic teams that had developed whole disciplines around making sense of data, writes Audrey Young.