Labour's leadership contenders appear to think they are involved in an extreme version of the Hokey Cokey, writes Claire Trevett.

Claire Trevett writes: So Labour has its leadership barbershop quartet, and although each member is singing to the same audience they are at a very different pitch.

The Prime Minister might get to choose who sits where in the Cabinet and on his front bench, but it seems National's caucus has a far more anarchic pecking order - one based on speed and punctuality just once every three years.

While Labour was occupied with brow-smiting and vows of silence, the PM sailed into Labour territory for a bit more pillaging, writes Claire Trevett.

For the past month, National leader John Key and Labour leader David Cunliffe have bemoaned the focus on Dirty Politics and the lack of attention to their policies.

Winston Peters harks back to a New Zealand of the 1950s and 1960s when everybody had a job and immigrants didn't take them. "We're not anti-immigration up here," he says. "Crikey! I'm half Scots."

Like any decent Western there are goodies and baddies running through the set of this election campaign.

MPs have headed off on the campaign trail with one last blast at their rivals.

Politicians come and politicians go. Some are loved, some are ridiculed, some are despised. Claire Trevett looks at two who will leave this week, respected.

Come the rains, come the politicians. When the winds and rains wrought havoc over Northland, it was Labour MP Kelvin Davis who got stuck in.

It was at the same venue as the National Party's conference the week before, but the Labour Party "congress" came in a different colour.

Mallard had done his homework and believed resurrecting the moa was like Rachel Hunter's hair condition, writes Claire Trevett. It won't happen overnight, but....

Pity the Labour Party's moderating committee, for which the process of working out the list is akin to Archimedes' battle to peg down pi, writes Claire Trevett.

David Cunliffe may well be proud that red is the colour of socialism, writes Claire Trevett, but he can't afford a re-enactment of Thrones' Red Wedding.

In Samoa this week, Prime Minister John Key indulged in a bit of harmless flattery of his counterpart, Prime Minister Tuilaepa.

Whether by design or merry happenstance, Finance Minister Bill English will stand to present his maiden surplus today.

John Key will be hoping the public has Judith Collins fatigue. It has turned into a war of infinitesimal detail, writes Claire Trevett. Details of who met whom, what was said

Claire Trevett looks at a week of politics dominated by policy announcements and the resignation of Shane Jones from the Labour Party.

Labour and New Zealand First yesterday mounted a pincer movement against Justice and ACC Minister Judith Collins in Parliament, writes Claire Trevett. A joint production titled "The Crusherfixion".

For one short week, we were unapologetic pigs in muck - at first slightly appalled at ourselves before shelving the guilt and enjoying the $1.2m taxpayer-funded ride.

Claire Trevett asks: "Who is the mystery electorate MP Kim Dotcom has claimed will soon shed his or her political clothing of yore and emerge in the royal purple of the Internet Party."

It is becoming a tradition when the Prime Minister is out of the country for the political krill to leap into the vacuum rattling their ice rakes to make a lot of noise, writes Claire Trevett.

Watching Collins trying to bring herself to admit she may have erred was akin to watching Heracles undergoing all of his tasks at once, writes Claire Trevett.

Labour leader David Cunliffe has joined the elite group to earn a PhD for proving the thesis that what is right in law is often wrong in politics, writes Claire Trevett.

The appointment of Matt McCarten as Labour leader David Cunliffe's new chief of staff was the second back-to-the-future moment in politics of the past week.

If there was ever a man determined to keep NZ Post in business, it is Colin Craig, writes Claire Trevett. So far he has had his lawyers send letters off to a satirical blogger, two media outlets, the Broadcasting Standards Authority and now Russel Norman.

Parliament this week was brought to you by the letters ARROGANT and TRICKY and the colour Green.