The Greens and ACT stand out as relative winners in recent polling and for much the same reasons. But there’s one big difference
Read MoreGreen Party
No, no, no to 'roads, roads, roads' – where the money could be going
The government’s road bings is clever politics but a slap in the face for those genuinely concerned about the twin crises of climate and inequality. There’s more money to spend and here’s how to spend it…
Read MoreThe greying of the Greens
The Greens’ stubborn incrementalism and James Shaw’s ruthlessness with dissent is diluting support inside the party is hastening the day when it faces its own revolution or replacement on the left
Read MoreWhether we're lowering the threshold or not – let's not lower our standards
Look at those Greens, trying to stack the deck to ensure they cling to power, eh? Except that argument makes little sense and stops us having a proper squiz at how we should run the country
Read MoreGreens in mortal danger
The Green's water bottling decision exposes potentially fatal flaws and complacency at the heart of Green Parliamentary operations
Read MoreNew welfare taskforce is a slow train... but on which track?
Will the Welfare Expert Advisory Group be simply an excuse for inaction, or an exercise in transformation? Sadly, we will have to wait a while to see
Read MoreDid Golriz Ghahraman do anything wrong?
The job of an international human rights lawyer isn't always battling for the angels. Sometimes it involves having to look out for the interests of devils, as Golriz Ghahraman did.
Read MoreIn the end, you cannot understand the things people do
We all have our breaking points. Metiria Turei just reached hers.
Read MoreToo many martyrs? Greens torn apart by Turei confessions
The 2017 election campaign hasn't properly started, yet it has taken another twist as two Greens MPs chose their conscience over party strategy and broke ranks. But who's really been the most indulgent and how might voters react?
Read MoreHow the Jacinda Effect changes everything & nothing
What looked like a campaign set to be dominated by third parties now has suddenly been tilted back towards the big two. Jacinda Ardern's election to the Labour leadership makes many new things possible, but one key thing even more likely
Read MoreAnd we're off! Policy & polls to start 2016
A look at the polls and strategies as the parliamentary year gets under way...
Read MoreJames Shaw as 'The Bachelor'. Can he win hearts?
The new Greens co-leader has the job of winning roses from thousands of sceptical New Zealand voters. Can he come across as credible enough? And is his 'no Nats' gamble the right move?
Read MoreShould Environmentalists Care About Poverty?
Can an environmentalist focus solely on sustainability or are they drawn into wider issues such has how fairly the material product of the economy is distributed?
Read MoreFortune cookies for all parties in Northland
The loudest message went to National. The loudest clap was for Winston (not NZ First). But each party can take fortune cookies from the result in Northland this weekend.
First National. The secret of John Key's Teflon popularity; 'don’t be what we know you really are - Tories.' When National inhabits the centre ground, and behaves like a Labour-lite government, they're hard to beat.
Dirty dairying inspires a common-sense approach from the politicians
Dealing to dirty dairying is an issue that the three major parties fundamentally agree on. Is a parliamentary accord on protecting our waterways next?
Read MoreMuddying the nation's waterways
The biggest problem muddying New Zealand's waterways is not farming, it's misinformation
Read MoreIs 2014 a landmark election for Green politics?
Could this party herald a radical realignment on the left of New Zealand politics? And are we seeing echoes of the 2002 election?
Read MoreThe Left starts to fracture - and thats a good thing
I'm picking that Laila Harre's appointment as leader of the Internet Party will be good for Internet-Mana, but the impact on this year's election will be determined by the relationship with Labour. If Internet-Mana do well this year, though, there might be an important shake-up that will strengthen the broad left in the longer term.
Read MoreThe Herald's post-2014 election fantasy
Some nameless person at the New Zealand Herald thinks either Labour or the Greens may have to support National after the 2014 election. And that person gets a salary to write this sort of stuff!
Read MoreStare decisis
Now that we're in the business of guaranteeing winners by making public policy in their favour, the sky is the limit.
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