David Cunliffe says any MP concerned with his ski-break timing should have the 'integrity' to put their name to criticism, instead of remaining anonymous.

Labour's support has slumped to its worst rating for 15 years in the latest DigiPoll survey, putting critical pressure on leader David Cunliffe.

A new political poll shows support for National has dropped slightly, but the party still has a massive 30 point lead over Labour.

National MP Claudette Hauiti has apologised for a "big boo-boo" and given up her parliamentary charge card, which she misused to pay for a holiday.

Goodbye whacky Greens; hello orthodox Greens. So moderate and non-threatening is the Greens' policy on "economic innovation" it could almost have been written by Bill English.

National Party MP Claudette Hauiti has given up her parliamentary charge card after she used it to pay for a personal trip to Australia.

National and Labour policies on domestic violence are still not enough to achieve the "culture shift" that New Zealand needs, says philanthropist Sir Owen Glenn.

Leaving the country in the hands of deputy Bill English, Prime Minister John Key took a holiday "selfie", posted on Instagram yesterday by son Max.

Aucklanders are told something has to go if the mayor is to keep rates from rising beyond his election promise. Aucklanders should not listen to this, writes John Roughan.

Schools could get as many as 21 extra teachers under Labour's election-year policy, according to new calculations.

The Opposition's role is to hold the government to account plus present itself as an alternative administration.

NZ's political parties are making it official on Twitter. Both Labour and National are targeting the 'twitterati' and offering social media hashtags to campaign.

It was at the same venue as the National Party's conference the week before, but the Labour Party "congress" came in a different colour.

Politics columnist Toby Manhire leaks his version of the secret emails between the top players in Team Key.

I bet Labour wishes it wasn't an election year, writes Mike Hosking.

Editorial: Foreign Minister Murray McCully owes the state of Malaysia a huge apology for suggesting it was to blame for immunity in the diplomat sex case.

Editorial: Looking for an electoral gift to unwrap at the National Party conference last weekend, the Government issued a hardly inspiring programme of roadworks.

The roading announcement was also part of a wider strategy to convince voters that the Greens will be the driving force of any post-election coalition, writes John Armstrong.

Prime Minister John Key has announced a $212 million roading and construction package in a bid to shoreup National's vote in regional New Zealand for the election.

The three National MPs effectively forced to retire at the coming election appeared to boycott a ceremony at the party's conference yesterday to thank all 12 retiring MPs for their service.

The prospect of the Internet Mana alliance teaming up with Labour has been a recurring theme at the National Party conference.

Anti-oil exploration protesters have put up banners in Wellington ahead of the National Party's Annual Conference.

One word jumped out when I read John Roughan's book on the PM yesterday. That word is "disciplined", writes Fran O'Sullivan.

If it seems a dismal beginning to the election campaign, there is cause to hope that this has been a flash flood, rather than the start of a long storm, writes Toby Manhire.

John Key briefly considered walking away from the job about 18 months ago and his new biography reveals he sacked two Ministers for 'nothing in particular'.

Controversial businessman Donghua Liu has issued a new statement to the Herald confirming "close to" $100k in total payments to Labour and its MPs.

National's little Act Party poodle seems to be running scared of the attention-seeking yapping of wannabe Conservative Party lapdog Colin Craig, writes Brian Rudman.