A bankrupt businessman with convictions for tax avoidance is suing independent MP Brendan Horan and RadioLive in a $650,000 defamation claim.

As captivating and entertaining as such a contest would have been, Winston Peters is unlikely to throw himself feline-like into the pigeon loft, writes John Armstrong.

NZ First would take GST off basic food items and rates bills and would target tax dodgers to fund the expensive policies, leader Winston Peters said yesterday.

Winston Peters has borrowed heavily from other parties with policy announcements today.

Winston Peters said NZ First’s support is firming up and his party is taking votes from others across the board.

Winston Peters was the one cutting the birthday cake. But someone else was plunging the knife.

Conservative Party Leader Colin Craig has picked up the gauntlet thrown down by Winston Peters over Foreign Minister Murray McCully's East Coast Bays seat.

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig says he would not form a Government with National unless it agreed to introduce binding referenda.

NZ First Leader Winston Peters is promising to announce “game changing” policies to tackle social inequality.

A hardline law and order policy by NZ First would offer greater protection to homeowners, farmers and shop keepers who shoot to kill intruders during home invasions or burglaries.

The Corrections Department has confirmed it is investigating a complaint about a staff member, said to be NZ First MP Asenati Lole-Taylor's husband Dennis Taylor.

The suspected illegal sale of a Northland island is further evidence of the Government's free-for-all attitude to selling land to foreign interests, Winston Peters says.

Winston Peters accused Brendan Horan of "disgraceful" conduct after it was revealed NZ First will not face sanctions over allegations of misuse of taxpayer funding.

Most Labour voters prefer the Green Party to NZ First if Labour only needs one of them after the election.

A spat between MPs in a TVNZ green room propelled weatherman Brendan Horan into the voting booth for the first time at the age of 44.

So predictable has Winston Peters become in timing his beating of the anti-immigration drum near an election that you can almost set your watch by it, writes John Armstrong.

New Herald poll shows Internet-Mana would get two MPs, as their success eats into the Greens vote while National is still well ahead of Labour.

The chairman of a Maori Trust at the centre of claims from Winston Peters of misspending has stepped down as an independent audit of its finances is launched.

A Mana Party contender claims Winston Peters was among those who helped pay a $632 fine Hone Harawira received last year at an Glenn Innes housing protest.

Winston Peters refused to answer questions about his ugly parliamentary put-down of his rogue former MP Brendan Horan in his first day back in the House.

David Cunliffe has tried just about everything to put a dent in the Government's poll ratings without success, writes Brian Rudman. He's now dipping into Winston Peters' murky bag of trick

Brendan Horan has made fresh allegations that his former boss, Winston Peters, is breaking parliamentary rules by having taxpayer-funded staff working on party business.

New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters is calling for an inquiry into finances at a $30 million-a-year South Auckland Maori disability support services trust.

Prime Minister John Key is predicting a "tight and tough" election with the Government up against a "left wing block" of parties.

Hostilities between Brendan Horan and his former NZ First colleagues have fired up again, with Mr Horan making allegations of bullying behaviour.

Parliament’s Speaker is investigating whether NZ First misused taxpayer funding by paying for software used to seek votes and raise cash for the party.

While he denied he was running away from a fight, NZ First leader Winston Peters left his MPs to defend the party against claims by rogue former MP Brendan Horan.

Prime Minister John Key has declared previous ownership of a racehorse, days after Winston Peters was accused of hiding his interest in a horse.