Today marks a qualitative shift in the highly contentious asset sales programme with the launch of the Mighty River Power shares offer, writes Bryce Edwards.

Much ink is being spilt and airtime apparently wasted on the annual conference of a political party that is currently polling at 0.1%, writes Bryce Armstrong.

The theme of Act's weekend conference was "rejuvenation", writes John Armstrong. There was precious little evidence of that to be seen where it really mattered.

Epsom voters are likely to be targeted by a combined scare campaign and charm offensive from Act as the party ratchets up its efforts to hold the seat.

Multi-millionaire Alan Gibbs says New Zealanders are "buggering up" their country by having unrealistic expectations of what governments can achieve, especially when it comes to spending money on so-called welfare entitlements.

Act is promising to reverse the "anti-development" and "anti-subdivision" elements of the Resource Management Act as it becomes the latest party to tackle housing affordability.

The Act Party is holding a "rejuvenation" conference today at the Kaukapakapa sculpture farm of wealthy benefactor and founding father Alan Gibbs.

Bryan Gould says the sale of favours by politicians should be anathema to any system of fair and open democracy. "I am surprised that so few seem to have grasped the unacceptable nature of this proposed arrangement."

John Banks may not get the sack as a minister but even the Prime Minister isn't going to go out of his way to defend him any more than he has to, writes Bryce Edwards.

In our second debate on the Electoral Commission's recommendations for MMP, Graeme Edgeler and Muriel Newman put the arguments for and against reducing the threshold. Join the debate and leave your comments at the end.

Kim Dotcom dropped into Parliament, as John Banks was absent from it, and he took a parting shot at the Prime Minister for his continued support for the Act leader.

Claire Trevett says John Key's actions show that there are at least two ostriches in New Zealand: him and Act leader John Banks.

Kim Dotcom said today he was hurt by John Banks denying he knew him after they had a clear friendship, and he believes he should stand down from his ministerial portfolios.

John Armstrong says the Prime Minister's defence of John Banks looks more ridiculous by the day. The risk is that even more damaging material will seep out.

Opposition parties have renewed their calls for John Key to sack Act leader John Banks, claiming a police finding showed he had misled the Prime Minister.

Act's board is standing by its leader, despite damning evidence in a police report into donations from Kim Dotcom and SkyCity in his 2010 mayoral campaign.

John Banks gave detectives investigating his political donations a three-hour interview, insisted it be kept private now blames police for withholding it.

Prime Minister John Key is standing by Cabinet colleague John Banks after revelations that Mr Banks' mayoralty campaign team drew up a list of rich donors to target.

John Banks' mayoral campaign team drew up a list of 10 rich donors to target for $25,000 each, new police documents show, and Kim Dotcom was asked for two payments.