OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Peters may be the old friend Key is looking forTake the personalities out of the equation and a National-NZ First Govt would be far less restrictive for National than one relying on the Maori Party, writes Claire Trevett.05 Feb 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: After baby-kissing theatrics comes flag wavingIt is only the first week of the parliamentary year and the features common to election campaigns are already on full boil, writes Claire Trevett.29 Jan 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Goldilocks problem to the fore in election yearSeven years after putting NZ First leader Winston Peters into the naughty corner, Key is now trying to haul him out again. writes Claire Trevett.22 Jan 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettPoliticians sitting ducks for cracker jokesLet us turn our minds to how politicians spent the day and the New Year's resolutions they are pondering in between overs of the cricket.25 Dec 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Beehive Santas rewrite rules on giving out goodiesWhat seasonal gift giving has shown us is the pecking order among the reindeer that drag Santa around, writes Claire Trevett. Steven Joyce has arisen as Rudolph.18 Dec 08:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Of musical chairs and other absurd carryings-onThe 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.11 Dec 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Financial nous among MPs not such a bad thingOver the past week, a bit of a siege mentality set in as MPs ran the gauntlet of being asked about their super schemes and Wellington apartments, writes Claire Trevett.13 Nov 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Party pruning begins but Labour men cling onSpring has sprung and with it a focus on renewal among political parties, writes Claire Trevett. National MPs are obediently acting like deciduous trees.06 Nov 08:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Key gets proactive in political danger zoneIn the same way a teacher might elect a star pupil for the day, Prime Minister John Key has taken to anointing a Good News Minister of the week, writes Claire Trevett.30 Oct 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Subtle end to not-so-subtle cuppaIt was with a subtle signal rather than bells tolling that PM John Key announced the death of the political tradition of the cup of tea.23 Oct 08:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Best advice: Keep it in your pantsEverybody 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.16 Oct 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Key's 'stability' may be as wobbly as blancmangeThe ministerial resignations of both Banks and Dunne reinforces the perception that the Govt's stability is as wobbly as blancmange, writes Claire Trevett. "The Maori Party votes against far more government bills than it supports."16 Oct 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Cunliffe full of thanks and promises, with caveatHe 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.09 Oct 04:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: PM makes little headway as he courts French PresidentPrime Minister John Key gave New Zealand wine to the Queen and British Prime Minister David Cameron.24 Sep 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettMonarchist Key: Let's change flagGetting 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.23 Sep 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettEntertainment galore on the hustingsClaire Trevett hands out awards for contestants in Labour's leadership following a fortnight of entertainment on the hustings.11 Sep 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettJones shows every underdog has his dayIt's now half way through the leadership roadshow of the Labour candidates, known as the 'Three Stooges' by National, writes Claire Trevett.04 Sep 09:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Labour wannabes tossed on a wine-dark seaDespite the public shows of bonhomie between the three so far in an attempt to show a party undivided, there is a warning within The Odyssey for the two losers, writes Claire Trevett.28 Aug 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: PM turns dead snapper into red herringThe snapper comparison set a lovely trap for Labour leader David Shearer, who obliged by falling into it, writes Claire Trevett.21 Aug 09:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Bennett's latest hard line right on targetSocial Development Minister Paula Bennett often stands accused of taking a hard line on matters within her purview.14 Aug 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: GCSB saga becoming National's version of hellIt couldn't have been worse timing for the Government, which has been on the charm offensive trying to persuade voters that it could be trusted, writes Claire Trevett.31 Jul 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: MPs unleashed in TwittersphereIf political parties have codes of conduct for social media, they are apparently flexible depending on how senior the MP is, writes Claire Trevett.17 Jul 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Rumour mill detects coups in every cornerClaire Trevett writes: There is only one kind of coup in politics: the one that actually works. However, there are numerous varieties of attempted coups.10 Jul 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Time short for Maori Party to rekindle fireAny suggestion of a full merger between the Maori Party and Mana remains as likely as Act merging with the Greens, writes Claire Trevett.03 Jul 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Rough going for Labour's battered rickshawIf polling tracks were Roads of National Significance, then National is in a people-mover on the Waikato Expressway, writes Claire Trevett.26 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Labour has most to lose in byelection for Ikaroa-RawhitiIt appears inevitable Labour's candidate, Meka Whaitiri, will win the seat, writes Claire Trevett. The bigger question is how the Mana and Maori parties will go against each other.23 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Flavell's wine left with just the grape skinsA miracle took place in Parliament this week when National turned wine into water.19 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: The clock chimes utu for PetersWinston 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.12 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Sir Douglas deserves his title stillStripping honours for reasons other than traditional crimes, is a relatively new phenomenon sparked by the global financial crisis, writes Claire Trevett.05 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Many flavours in Key's porridgeMana leader Hone Harawira spat at the porridge in disgust, writes Claire Trevett. Prime Minister John Key thought the porridge was just right.29 May 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire Trevett: Big 'Dolly' stands in way of MMP changesIn the 1980s Australian show The Comedy Club, the naughty schoolgirl Jophesine had a standard defence to accusations of wrongdoing.15 May 05:30 PM
OpinionClaire TrevettClaire Trevett: Death robs Labour of vital link to MaoriThe man who usually walked alongside a Labour leader on to a marae was not there this time. Instead, Labour's leader and his caucus were going on to a small marae in Tolaga Bay to farewell him.03 May 05:30 PM
