Barry Soper is Newstalk ZB's senior political correspondent
Barry Soper is Newstalk ZB’s senior political correspondent. He was ZB’s political editor for many years after first joining the station and the press gallery in 1980.
'Bullied out': Man stood down from Parliament wants apology
Fallout from report of review into bullying and harassment at Parliament continues.
Soper: Provincial Growth Fund goes where banks fear to tread
Fund agreed to pay up millions of dollars to improve forgotten, weed infested Māori land.
Soper: Medicinal cannabis law great for drug dealers
COMMENT: The terminally ill will, like Helen Kelly, be able to get loose-leaf marijuana.
Soper: Do we get value from royal tour?
COMMENT: Looking at happy faces, spending taxpayers' money was last thing on their minds.
Barry Soper: Simon Bridges comes up short
COMMENT: All in all yesterday played out as a National Party soap opera.
Soper: Clare Curran saga reflects poorly on PM's leadership
COMMENT: Clare Curran's demise eerily similar to that of the Labour MP she replaced.
Barry Soper: Why are landlords being picked on?
COMMENT: Most landlords aren't fat cats, so why change rental laws, asks Barry Soper.
Soper: Simon Bridges' rubbish first day as leader
COMMENT: In his first attempt to embarrass Labour, Bridges ended up with egg on his face.
Live: Bridges new Nats leader, Bennett remains deputy
Some MPs are still undecided, so a lot lies on the pitch to caucus.
Soper: Anything can happen in Nats race
COMMENT: Public popularity won't decide who'll step into English's Hush Puppies.
Barry Soper: Why there's a lot to worry about in the National leadership race
Comment: Simon Bridges clearly wanted no distractions as he launched his leadership bid.
Barry Soper: Winston Peters drove a hard bargain
Comment: The NZ First and Greens deals came at a fairly hefty cost to Labour.