COMMENT: David Seymour's greatest success is that he is not reviled, writes Audrey Young.

COMMENT: Unlike other electoral accommodations, the Mana Maori deal is devoid of subtlety.

COMMENT: Dame Fiona Kidman's submission to the select committee on Pike River was study in empathy, writes Audrey Young.

COMMENT: Andrew Little started the year well but the Willie Jackson debacle has damaged his leadership and the party, writes Audrey Young.

COMMENT: What has become clear is that the influence of iwi leaders, especially post- treaty settlement iwi, are becoming a new battleground this election.

COMMENT: Waitangi is special, it hardly needs saying. Sadly February 6 is becoming the day to forget February 5 and the madness of Te Tii Marae.

COMMENT: Shane Jones' is set to join New Zealand First but not everyone in the party is holding up the welcome sign.

The English and Bennett team is bigger than the sum of its parts, writes Audrey Young, after the Prime Minister's State of the Nation address.

COMMENT: The new PM spent nearly five hours at the horse sales in what should be a busy election year, writes Audrey Young.

COMMENT: Audrey Young sums up the political performances of our MPs this year, and picks a winner.

COMMENT: The Labour Party was quietly thrilled after getting over the shock of John Key's resignation as PM and his endorsement of Bill English.

COMMENT: The contest to become Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister is starting to look like an elaborate wiring diagram.

Even a close win in Mt Roskill could have been bad new for Andrew Little but the victory will transform the spirits of the party.

COMMENT: Opposition parties are hoping that their own version of the Brexit-Trump contagion will take grip in New Zealand.

The US Admiral who ordered the USS Sampson to divert to the earthquake disaster zone has a long history with New Zealand.

Gone are the days when New Zealand spent a lot of time working out how to get the attention of the United States, at least under President Obama.

COMMENT: A Clinton presidency would have offered a seamless transition in the United States' policy towards New Zealand.

Perhaps the best feature of the American electoral system is that it gives us two and a half months to recover our composure before the new president takes office.

COMMENT: John Key this week recalled the shock he felt when Simon Power privately told him he would be retiring from politics.

COMMENT: Political Editor Audrey Young gives her report card on the Education Minister, who has announced she will step down at the next election.

COMMENT: NZ First leader has been vocal about parents' strain on pension.

Nikki Kaye has earned a reputation as an individual who is driven in almost everything she does.

COMMENT: As Key has pointed out publicly, Clark's abilities are widely acknowledged; her trouble is that she doesn't have a champion among the P5.

COMMENT: With every passing week, it becomes more likely that New Zealand First will decide the next Government.

COMMENT: Helen Clark has plenty of things consider as she contemplates the next step in the contest to lead the United Nations.

COMMENT: There are many ways by which Justice Minister Amy Adams can measure success in her job.

COMMENT: In afterglow of Joe Biden's charm offensive, it is easy to forget how bad things got at the breakup of the Anzus security alliance 30 years ago.

COMMENT: Helen Clark has stormed through the transparent part of her bid to lead the United Nations.

COMMENT: In a world in which the latest messaging apps last only seconds, the Labour Party has much to celebrate in lasting 100 years.

COMMENT: If Brexit the Musical is ever staged, casting of characters won't be hard given the performances so far of leading players, writes Audrey Young.