![John Armstrong: National hopes Friday 13th will kill fight](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=808)
John Armstrong: National hopes Friday 13th will kill fight
Unlucky for some? Maybe. But National clearly does not think it is in danger, writes John Armstrong on the party's choosing Dec 13th for the asset sales referendum.
Unlucky for some? Maybe. But National clearly does not think it is in danger, writes John Armstrong on the party's choosing Dec 13th for the asset sales referendum.
When it comes to commenting on opinion polls, there is a simple rule that all politicians should follow. Don't do it.
To be sacked twice as a Cabinet minister in one parliamentary term would set some kind of unfortunate record. It's not for Nick Smith yet, writes John Armstrong.
It takes an awful lot to flummox Winston Peters, but Tariana Turia yesterday came as close as anyone is likely to get to doing so.
Before becoming Labour's new leader, David Cunliffe promised he would reshuffle jobs and rankings in the caucus based on 'meritocracy' writes John Armstrong.
David Cunliffe had been Labour leader for barely 24 hours before he was boldly declaring he had put his party on a "war footing".
The bout everyone had been waiting for began just before 2pm with a lengthy handshake, and ended with Cunliffe bruised, writes John Armstrong.
David Cunliffe's new train has left the station. Grant Robertson may be on board in body. But is he in spirit, asks John Armstrong.
On his first full day as Labour's leader, David Cunliffe was talking tough. Very tough. He announced that Labour was going on a "war footing".
The time has surely arrived to dump New Zealand's failed two-decade-old experiment with American-style citizens-initiated referendums.
With Big Brother presumably in mind, John Key last week likened Labour's leadership contest to the reality TV show, writes John Armstrong.
The week's prize for barefaced cheek must surely go to the Greens, writes John Armstrong. With Parliament's Clerk of the House yesterday finally giving the okay for a non-binding referendum on National's asset sales policy,
The reality is that the leadership contest is all about which candidate best embodies Labour's soul and tradition as a party of the left, writes John Armstrong.
On the face of it, Labour would seem deserving of much applause for rule changes which now make the election of the party's leader a far better exercise in democracy.
John Key lost the plot in Parliament yesterday. The PM could not remember the question Labour's David Cunliffe had asked him moments earlier, writes John Armstrong.
Yesterday's launch of his bid for the Labour leadership was 100 per cent unadulterated David Cunliffe, writes John Armstrong.
There is an old saying that being the Leader of the Opposition is the worst job in politics. The role has one rather large thing going for it, however.
A big questionmark remains as to the wisdom of rushing another and bigger float in a state-owned generator so soon after Mighty River Power, writes John Armstrong.
As the new power behind David Shearer's wobbling throne, Fran Mold probably has the most daunting job in New Zealand politics right now, writes John Armstrong.
A Treasury document obtained by Labour details a host of "initiatives" in this year's Budget which would be paid for by the asset sales fund, writes John Armstrong.
Bill English's speech provided a vital clue as to how National will fight next year's election. It will go relentlessly on the offensive across all fronts, writes John Armstrong.
Saturday mornings at National Party conferences usually mean a lengthy discourse on the economy from Finance Minister Bill English, complete with copious complicated graphs.
Just when you think the Prime Minister's pragmatic streak has surely drunk for too long at the well of political convenience, John Key promptly undertakes an even more audacious departure from the ideological ethos supposedly guiding his party.
Any faint hope that the politicians might agree to put the national interest ahead of petty politics has soured faster than a glass of milk in the hot sun.
The Government's handling of the Fonterra infant formula contamination scare is difficult to fault ... so far, writes John Armstrong.
It goes without saying that journalists are by nature deeply suspicious of politicians and the motives which drive them - and vice versa, writes John Armstrong.
John Key's usual flow of wisecracks and putdowns during question-time had suddenly dried up, writes John Armstrong. That was replaced by Key the Helpful.
That someone working for Parliamentary Service could consider it ok to release a Press Gallery journalist's phone records truly beggars belief, writes John Armstrong.
Whichever way you look at it promising such a ban is darned good politics, writes John Armstrong. "National has been caught off guard."