'Do you want to leave now?' asked the host of last night's Helensville debate of Prime Minister John Key - who came closest to being kicked out.

Internet Party leader Laila Harre has accused the Prime Minister of lying during a TVNZ interview in suggesting the Internet-Mana coalition was behind an effigy-burning video.

The joint Helensville/Te Tai Tokerau candidates meeting at the Kumeu Baptist Church will be the only local meeting Mr Key attends and his arch rivals Laila Harre, the Internet leader, and Hone Harawira, the Mana leader, had hoped to use it as a platform to tackle him.

When policymakers in the modern world worry about the cost to future taxpayers of ageing populations, pensions are only part of it - healthcare also contributes to the bill.

Two Aucklanders who share the name Wong have different opinions on Winston Peters' "two Wongs" joke.

A further 3500 young people on welfare could have their spending tightly controlled by an adult supervisor if National is re-elected.

The spate of race baiting, ethnic slurs and off-colour jokes that have marred this year's election campaign continued yesterday.

How to explain Peters' "two Wongs don't make a right" excuse for a joke, writes John Armstrong.

Colin Hogg writes: Television seems to be a little in love with politics, which shouldn't be a bad thing in a run-up to an election, unless it's dull, of course.

Winston Peters' comment that "two Wongs don't make a right" is "outdated rhetoric" that has no place in the country's future, Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy says.

Next month's election is fast turning into the Spend, Spend, Spend election, with some parties making the proverbial drunken sailor look like the very model of abstemiousness in comparison.

A Chinese name joke, a dig at this country's "Mr Spray and Walk Away" Prime Minister, and a promise of $1000 and a KiwiSaver account for every newborn baby - all featured in the New Zealand First campaign launch yesterday.

Labour has opened up a new front in the election, targeting older voters with a major funding injection to pay for free doctor visits for about 700,000 senior citizens.

There is no question which party has made the most impact in the "phony war" of these weeks before the election campaign gets properly under way.

Labour's health package, along with its recent youth employment policy, lifts its score by $1.36 billion on the Herald's Porkometer.

Conservative Party candidate Garth McVicar will stand in the Napier electorate.

Act candidate David Seymour is comfortably ahead in the latest poll in the key seat of Epsom - as long as people vote with the National-Act deal in mind.

Labour leader David Cunliffe has announced over-65s will be added to the groups who get free doctors' visits under a major funding boost for primary health care.

Politicians seldom get to anoint a successor. That was especially so for me. Readers may recall I left with a bit of a hiss and a roar at a time I least expected it.

Christmas has taken a back seat to the election as people appear to be looking forward to the gift of government.

Colin Craig has been a compelling performer in the campaign so far. How he manages to say so much using only one vowel is a constant source of amazement, writes Paul Little.

Colin Craig has failed to shine in a televised political debate which he legally won the right to participate in.

Winston Peters has a great jacket, capable of keeping the most unimaginable weather at bay. It was given to him by a racing club in Ireland. I'll have to take his word about its effectiveness.

The Road to Victory in the 2014 election is not paved with gold - Dotcom's or anybody else's.

Pregnant women would get free dental care, doctors' visits and prescriptions under a Labour Government in a plan to be unveiled at the party's campaign launch.

Colin Craig must be tougher than he looks. His revelation that the Chinese firm owning the Crafar farms has applied to buy another pastoral gem was fairly brutal retaliation for National's refusal to give him an electorate.

Widespread damage to election hoardings has been described as "pretty disappointing" but "part of the election campaign process" by the Prime Minister.

The upshot of Novopay is this: we spent $110m to get a lemon from an Australian company - which is now being touted as a $15m 'asset', writes Dita De Boni.

Election emails fall from time and space on to the desk of columnist Toby Manhire - who shares them with you today. What do the say about NZ politics?