A Labour Cabinet Minister presented a bottle of wine to the partner of businessman Donghua Liu at a fundraiser for the party.

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.

Labour says it has no record of receiving money from the businessman and National Party donor surrounded in controversy.

Yet another poll - the Herald-DigiPoll survey today - suggests National is heading for a decisive re-election in September.

Labour has issued its clearest sign so far that it will mount its own tactical voting strategy in the Epsom electorate by encouraging its voters to give their electorate vote to National's candidate, Paul Goldsmith.

A wealthy Auckland businessman, whose links to the National Party led to a minister's resignation, also made a secret $15,000 donation to Labour.

There are three rules of New Zealand politics. Never criticise farmers. Never ask why cannabis is illegal and never, ever mention abortion.

New Zealand could soon have its first female Muslim politician in Parliament.

With 100 days to go until election day on September 20, the political parties - no doubt fibbing through clenched teeth - profess to be ready. Or close enough.

Labour is promising to abolish within 100 days of taking office the MMP coat-tail rule that enables a minor party electorate MP to bring party list mates into Parliament, writes Brian Rudman.

The rich and powerful are expert at using their dominance of the media to raise the salience in the popular mind of values that suit their interests, writes Bryan Gould.

Editorial: Labour MP Andrew Little is right, an inquiry is needed into the police decision not to prosecute John Banks.

The IPCA is evaluating complaints about the police decision not to pursue electoral fraud charges against Act MP John Banks and may launch a formal investigation.

The downfall of John Banks may have seemed the story of the week. But the feasting by the mob on what was left of his dignity was essentially a sideshow, if a rather unsavoury one, writes John Armstrong.

Taxpayer funding for National and Labour's election campaign broadcast advertising has been cut for this year's election but the Greens and NZ First will enjoy a substantial boost.

Labour leader David Cunliffe confirmed he would still be open to a post-election deal with Internet Mana despite making the abolition of "coat-tailing" under MMP .

It is political convention that changing electoral law is done by consensus because it is fundamental to the country's democracy, writes John Armstrong.

Labour is looking "very closely" at changing the rules for foreign investors who can get residency in New Zealand by paying $10 million.

The David Cunliffe experiment has failed. Eight months into his leadership Labour is polling below what it was under Phil Goff and David Shearer.

The Maori Party will move to change it's vote on a Labour MP's paid parental leave bill today after a blunder last night saw its votes counted incorrectly.

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

Labour leader David Cunliffe wants to cut the level of immigration but won't say by how much.

Odd political bedfellows Hone Harawira and Kim Dotcom sealed the deal between their Mana and Internet parties.

Labour leader David Cunliffe has defended helping a Chicago-based friend buy a house in Omaha, despite saying overseas investors were hurting the housing market.

The left know that there's increasing concern in NZ society about economic inequality, in particular child poverty, unemployment, and the rising cost of living, writes Bryce Edwards.

John Key's National Government is enjoying a Budget lift higher in two new polls, and appears to have moved on from the conflict-of-interest scandals.