Matt McCarten has an amazing capacity to fight the fight in an uncompromising way but with an immense amount of goodwill and humour.

The Government's liquor law bill passed its first reading yesterday amid strident criticism from Opposition MPs.

A website is predicting that National is likely to need the embattled Act party in order to govern after next year's election.

There would be plenty of mana in customary marine title without the power to exclude the public from sacred sand.

There is a simple reason MP Hone Harawira is winning the public relations war within the Maori Party over the bill his leaders have negotiated to repeal Labour's Foreshore and Seabed Act.

The divisions in the Maori Party caucus over the foreshore and seabed repeal bill hardened over the weekend at the party's conference in a very public way.

John Key says his deal to keep The Hobbit in NZ was far less than what Labour paid for LOTR, but Labour says the PM isn't telling the full story.

The law change that was part of the deal to clinch The Hobbit for New Zealand was still being heatedly debated when Parliament adjourned last night.

Parliament was tonight working its way through a labour law change the Government says is essential to ensure The Hobbit movies are made in New Zealand, but was facing stiff opposition from Labour.

At the national level Hone Harawira is fast turning into a complete waste of political space, writes John Armstrong.