Top five columns of 2019: Audrey Young on the Christchurch mosque shootings and capital gains tax

Read the five most popular columns of 2019 from political editor Audrey Young.

As we say goodbye to 2019 and welcome in 2020, it's a good time to catch up on the very best of the Herald columnists we enjoyed reading over the last 12 months. From politics to sport, from business to entertainment and lifestyle, these are the voices and views our audience loved the most. Today it's the top five from political editor Audrey Young.

Simon Bridges gets the better of Jacinda Ardern over small business experience

When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was defending a proposed capital gains tax, she thought it would be a good idea to show off her small business experience . National leader Simon Bridges saw his opportunity and pounced.

Round Two of Bridges v Ardern on Capital Gains Tax did not begin well

Simon Bridges and Jacinda Ardern clashed in Parliament during Question Time, two weeks after the Tax Working Group's report was released. Things got a bit messy, as they often do in politics, with Ardern questioning Bridges' motives and deputy Winston Peters questioning the extent to which Bridges considered himself Māori.

Simon Bridges needed to do two things today and he did neither

Simon Bridges was caught in the spotlight after he received leaked Budget documents in May. When he fronted to the media, flanked by deputy leader Paula Bennett and finance spokeswoman Amy Adams, he opted to hurl insults, rather than own up to how he had received the documents.

Three reasons Ardern has ruled out even campaigning on a capital gains tax

Describing Ardern as a "very clever communicator", Audrey Young expressed her surprise when even a diluted capital gains tax on rental residential property was off the table. Apparently, an "audible gasp" was heard when the announcement was made - nobody had predicted she would rule out the flagship policy.

Who rates highly in our Cabinet report card - and who disappoints?

In April, Audrey Young ran the ruler over Jacinda Ardern's coalition Cabinet, to rate who was performing well and who wasn't. Ardern and one of her most junior ministers scored highest in the Herald mid-term report, while three high-profile ministers with big portfolios scored lowest.