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.
Clash with PM: Hosking, you can't have it both ways - Barry Soper
COMMENT: Hosking's remarks on being asleep at the wheel are, frankly, a bit rich.
Barry Soper: Ardern treading water - the master of soft, flattering interviews
OPINION: The PM is a celebrity leader and she's determined to keep it that way.
Barry Soper: Did Brian and Hannah Tamaki deserve the wrath of the Government in 'escaping' Auckland?
OPINION: They should lead their flock by example, not by doing a runner.
Barry Soper: Time for Govt to consider being cruel to be kind
OPINION: For starters, take those deliberate rulebreakers to task and prosecute them.
Barry Soper: Labour's move on Māori wards leaves ratepayers in cold
OPINION: If Labour wanted to change the rules, it should have said so before the election.
Barry Soper: Trevor Mallard raises more questions than he answers
OPINION: Before his peers, Trevor Mallard was in a hole and just kept digging.
Barry Soper: The squeaky wheel - Beehive's on-the-fly virus reaction
COMMENT: Some consistency and maybe a little more forethought would be nice.
Barry Soper: Lockdowns are not a long-term solution for pandemic
COMMENT: Aucklanders are going to have another weekend at home, soaking in their bubbles.
Barry Soper: Don't expect large-scale policies from Labour this campaign
COMMENT: The only Captain's call you'll hear from Jacinda Ardern is to stay vigilant.
Barry Soper: Tit for tat - the politics of sordid sex and sacking a minister
Comment: Rumour mill over Iain Lees-Galloway had been whirring for months.
Winston Peters will settle lawsuit for Paula Bennett's scalp
Peters is suing two ex-National ministers after his pension overpayment was made public.