Controversial businessman Donghua Liu says he bid at Labour Party auctions and made anonymous donations to some MPs.

Labour's new tax plan would see the top rate lift to 36c in the dollar, and it is dangling the prospect of tax cuts if it got a second term, but not for the wealthy.

Controversial businessman Donghua Liu has issued a new statement to the Herald confirming "close to" $100k in total payments to Labour and its MPs.

Yesterday the Labour leader had to pick himself up off the floor, writes John Armstrong. David Cunliffe succeeded - just. He had John Key near the ropes if not on them, albeit very briefly.

A donation from Donghua Liu to a rowing club linked to a former Labour Cabinet minister has been confirmed.

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.

Labour hopeful Kelvin Davis' ranking on the party list is a veiled message that Labour is gunning for the Te Tai Tokerau seat, a party insider says.

Prime Minister John Key has added his voice to calls for Donghua Liu to put up or shut up over his donations to Labour.

No newcomers are likely to make it into Parliament on Labour’s new list unless the party polls almost 32 per cent in September.

The Labour Cabinet minister who handed over a bottle of wine to Donghua Liu's partner at a fundraiser denied the millionaire businessman paid $100k for the auction prize.

Labour has challenged businessman Donghua Liu to come up with evidence to support his claims of large donations to the party several years ago.

What would John Key have done in David Cunliffe's position this week? Labour Party members must be asking themselves that question and they probably know the answer.

Universal KiwiSaver, with just a few exceptions, will provide more people with nest eggs and, with them, better retirements, writes Rob Salmond.

Businessman Donghua Liu spent more than $150k on the previous Labour govt, including $100k on a bottle of wine signed by Helen Clark at a party fundraiser.

Labour Party leader David Cunliffe insisted this morning he was doing a good job.

The Labour Party will set its party list on Sunday and most of the prime real estate on it is expected to go to women candidates.

When it comes to casting aspersions, few insults are as venomous, vicious or more driven by utter contempt than accusing someone of being a "scab", writes John Armstrong.

Millionaire businessman Donghua Liu has confirmed for the first time that he donated to the Labour Party.

It was a sign of how worried Labour leader David Cunliffe was that he took the unusual step of cancelling his plans to spend yesterday in Auckland to return to Parliament.

The National Government is denying a dirty tricks campaign against Labour Leader David Cunliffe over his letter of support for businessman Donghua Liu’s residency application.

Shane Jones says he has no regrets about quitting Parliament despite a suggestion he may have been in the prime position to take over the leadership about now.

David Cunliffe wants to know why Prime Minister John Key knew about a letter Mr Cunliffe wrote for Donghua Liu long before he was told about it.

The furore over David Cunliffe's contact with controversial Chinese businessman Donghua Liu boils down to one simple question: Can Cunliffe be trusted?

A poor result on a new political poll has added to Labour’s woes today - and Labour's pain is National's gain.

Prime Minister John Key believes the Labour has a lot more than $15,000 in donations from wealthy Chinese political donor Donghua Liu.

David Cunliffe has an unfortunate manner on the moral high ground. He adopts a tone of solemn, heavy-hearted condemnation befitting a preacher in hell.

David Cunliffe says he has done nothing wrong and will not resign following revelations he did write a letter on behalf of Donghua Liu - contrary to earlier denials.

A senior staff member for a Labour MP wrote a letter on behalf of wealthy businessman Donghua Liu’s residency application because he had invested $3 million.

David Cunliffe is in deep political trouble. So deep that his resignation as Labour's leader may now be very much in order, writes John Armstrong.

This gaming of the system is not new, writes Brian Rudman. What is different this election is that instead of it being nudge-nudge, wink-wink, it's become formalised.