If we're starting to talk about Waitangi Day, the end of the year has arrived. So what will John Key and Phil Goff be reflecting on as they tuck into their Christmas pudding?
When the English flag – the cross of St George - flies next to the Union Jack on Windsor Castle, does that shake the foundations of Westminster democracy?
With John Key the latest NZ leader to twiddle his thumbs in foreign airport lounges waiting with the tourists for a commercial flight, it's time to end the indignity and get our PM a plane
On 12 September 2001, Air NZ put its Australian arm, Ansett Australia, into voluntary liquidation. The next morning, Helen Clark happened to be sitting in Air NZ’s Melbourne Airport lounge, checking messages and chatting wearily to her accom
Bill English is no doubt hoping Dipton-gate will disappear fast following his decision to pay back all his ministerial housing allowance. But will it?
It wasn’t that long ago that the Finance Minister was on the opposition benches taunting the Labour Party with the cry of ‘pay it back’ .
It's not just the less well-off who should feel aggrieved by fat cat salaries. One way or another, it's costing all of us
If you’ve never seen US comedian Lewis Black’s riff about greed you should have a look. So too should Paul Reynolds, and a few other chief executives employed by our major companies.
Airy dismissals, as Marie Antoinette found, can be lethal for politicians. National is learning that lesson
Bill English has many things going for him. He is a smart, determined, dominating figure in the National government. He has an astute political brain. He has an inquiring mind. And he
There's a number of basic rules in politics – don't make mistakes, and don't fight needless fights. Labour needs to heed both.
Phil Goff knows what Graham Henry is feeling. Labour is playing politics the way the All Blacks played the Springboks in Bloemfontein. They are trailing by some margin and getting desperate, forcing the
John Key was anywhere but New North Rd on Saturday. For National's leader, Melissa Lee's post-by-election wake in the heart of Mt Albert held all the attraction of a swine flu support group
So John Key had a long-standing holiday commitment that prevented him from attending Melissa Lee’s defeat party. When he personally selected the by-election date back in April (when he harboured sweaty dreams of glorious victory, giving those miserable feckless Labourites anoth
Conservation tends to suffer under National governments, and this year's budget was true to form. Meanwhile, some private schools may be saved from extinction
You got to wonder what the Department of Conservation did to the National Party in a prior life. By the law of karma, it must have been a rather unpleasant act.
Don Brash might dream that Helen Clark hacked his computer, leaked the contents to Nicky Hager, forced the High Court to allow his book to be published, and then oversaw the police investigation which kept her role secret. The truth is more prosaic
If there was ever such a thing, the Labour Party’s police wing would not be very large. And when you think of policemen-turned-MPs (Chester Borrows, Ross Meurant, Rana Waitai, Peter Hilt, Clem Simich, Judith Collins [in her dreams], et al), there’s not been many joining Labour’
