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.
Shane Jones prepares to splash $100m in his electorate via Provincial Growth Fund
Regional Development Minister is understood to be planning his biggest spend yet from PGF.
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: 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: What Jacinda Ardern's artwork says about her
COMMENT: Circles we're told, depicted in this way, represent need to find unity and peace.
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.
Soper: Pension leak is why Winston went with Labour
COMMENT: It's now clear Wily Winston had no plan to form a coalition with National.
Peters takes legal action over pension leak
Former ministers, journalists, bureaucrats in Peters' sights.
Barry Soper: Winston Peters drove a hard bargain
Comment: The NZ First and Greens deals came at a fairly hefty cost to Labour.
Soper: Paula Bennett could be National's 'death warrant'
Comment: National is purging those connected with pension leak to butter up Peters.