The government repeatedly damns the bloated public sector and its growth under the previous government. So what are the facts?
Read MoreNational government
Politics in 2010: if the shoe fits...
This year it's now or never for the government. Will they become a comfy pair of everyday shoes, or will they start to pinch and wear?
Read MoreIdeology destroys energy efficiency
The former Greens co-leader questions why, given its "retrograde vision" for energy efficiency, the National Government wanted to collaborate with the Greens in the first place
Read MoreWobbly and messy
The benign winter is over but spring is proving autumnal for the Government
Read MoreThe unlikely wisdom of returning to war
Although it goes against all my instincts, sending the SAS back to Afghanistan makes sense. What other path is there to peace?
Read MoreBill English: Let them eat cake
Airy dismissals, as Marie Antoinette found, can be lethal for politicians. National is learning that lesson
Read MoreNational's folic tangle
Just as the smacking debate dogged the previous government, the fuss around folate has the potential to knock the gloss off this government if it doesn't act quickly.
Read MorePurchase advisers: new dogs or old tricks?
National's decision to hire "purchase advisers" is another nail in the coffin of a neutral public service. Or is it?
Read MoreNational's big test: A 'brave budget' with no tax cuts
Unless the G20 saves the world or the recession suddenly does the u-turn, National has only got a month before it must bite the bullet and cancel next year's tax cuts
Read MoreIt's not just what Government does, its the way that it does it
National's first 100 days of action are over and its legislative trophies are there for all to see. But has it stretched the rules in getting what it wants done?
Read MoreNational's Neros fiddling on tax and infrastructure
Almost a full economic quarter has passed since the election, and still we're waiting for government action on the worst recession since World War II. Tax cuts are still two months away and National is cutting back on infrastructure
Read More