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.

COMMENT: John Key came prepared to his post-Cabinet press conference yesterday on foreign trusts.

COMMENT: Murray McCully believes Helen Clark had the best start possible in the first phase of her bid to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations, writes Audrey Young.

COMMENT: New Zealand has no shortage of tea-stained reports about the failures of Child Youth and Family and its hard-working, well-meaning staff.

COMMENT: Few who know Clark would doubt her ability to do the job, and the fact that Clark will be in contention is an incredible achievement, writes Audrey Young.

If you like it, vote for it. If you like the present flag better, vote for it. Don't let anything else get in the way, writes Audrey Young.

All New Zealanders are equal, but some New Zealanders are more equal than others, especially when they are living in Australia, writes Audrey Young.

There is little downside for Key in supporting Clark. She is still a highly respected and popular figure in New Zealand, writes Audrey Young.

The good news for the Government is that Hone Harawira and his friends just made its sales job a lot easier, writes Audrey Young.

Three wise men and four idiots featured in Parliament's last question time of the year.

COMMENT: Yes, she has a Machiavellian style, but that hardly disqualifies her for high political office, writes Audrey Young.

Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger says it is time to change the New Zealand flag and he hopes New Zealand has "the maturity" to do it and to look forward and not back.

John Key's programme in Hanoi yesterday reflects the complexity of the country. In the morning it was a visit to the Vin empire of Vietnam's first and only billionaire, Pham Nhat Vuong, and in the afternoon he was off to meet the communists.

Area labelling is sure to be extended in the upcoming free trade talks with the European Union, writes Audrey Young.

Labour's current deputy leader has the skills, experience and respect crucial for the next election.

Labour has been pivotal in shifting public opinion, shifting its own position last year from a pro starting point to a neutral one.

After the completion of exhaustive TPP talks in Atlanta, Trade Minister Tim Groser sounded anything but elated as he talked down the phone at 3 am.

On Tuesday the Greens showed they're working closely with Labour and on Wednesday that they will act independently of Labour if need be.

Children's Commissioner Russell Wills has done the Government a huge favour with his State of Care report this week, whether he intended to or not.

Cynical safety move means minister must quit if 'safe farm' death rate doesn't fall, writes Audrey Young.

Embattled Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga has scored lowest in the latest Herald report card on the Cabinet's performance - four out of 10.

With the Opposition's relentless description of the Govt's housing policy as "a fiasco", there was a chance they would be right one day, writes Audrey Young.

Herald political editor Audrey Young sets out the case for the Foreign Minister losing his job over the $11m Saudi sheep deal.

Keeping silent about axing the $1000 kickstart payment for new KiwiSaver members, isn't a broken promise, strictly speaking, writes Audrey Young.

Nobody would be shocked if Key called time if his popularity waned, given that his popularity sustains his political drive, writes Audrey Young.

"Today I’m embarrassed that John Key is Prime Minister", writes Audrey Young: "I have not felt that in the past six-and-a-bit years he had led the country."

The PM's Office has finally agreed to release transcripts from his post cabinet press conferences, and Audrey Young says it's a small, but important, victory.

Andrew Little made something of "a captain's call" on Waitangi Day when suggesting notions of greater Maori sovereignty should not be dismissed.

How did John Key get away with honouring Prince Philip, but Tony Abbott hasn't? Political editor Audrey Young outlines her theories.

The possibility of former Prime Minister Helen Clark leading the United Nations is a common subject of speculation.