David Cunliffe's "baby bonus" is a nifty Trojan horse that will do more for Labour's chances than the usual politically inspired and euphemistically labelled "kissing babies" exercise, writes Fran O'Sullivan.
After years of Labour and National concentrating on winning the political middle ground, both party leaders have launched their 2014 election campaigns by reaching out to their respective left and right heartlands.
PM John Key has hinted National is working on its own legislation to extend paid parental leave - but will it match the 26 weeks Labour is pushing for?
'Where's it all coming from Sunshine?' asks National of Labour's new child policy that will give most parents of newborns $3000 a year.
Labour MP and novice DJ Jacinda Ardern has fielded offers for future gigs after her set at Auckland's Laneway music festival.
Labour's election-year offer of $60 a week for those with new babies will not be a vote winner with Eileen Reid.
John Armstrong asks: "If the policy is really designed to help struggling families, why include households which patently do not need hand-outs from the state to raise children?"
Labour leader David Cunliffe has set out a policy to give most parents of new born babies a payment of $60 a week until that baby turns one.
Parents with preschool-age children are expected to be the big winners from Labour leader David Cunliffe's State of the Nation address today.
Political parties should be in the practice of jettisoning policies that serve only to hamper their electoral prospects. It is up to any new leader to recognise these and act.
Labour's Shane Jones has used the rat-cunning skills that got him to the top of Maori fishing politics to manoeuvre his boss, David Cunliffe, into adopting new realism on offshore oil and gas exploration.
The Government's creation of new roles in NZ schools - including 'executive principals' and 'expert teachers' - has been cautiously welcomed by the teaching profession.
Prime Minister John Key is on to a winner with his big plans to financially reward excellent teachers and principals, writes Audrey Young.
The National Government’s economic focus will be on paying down debt as Crown finance’s improve, Prime Minister John Key said this morning.
Read PM John Key's full state of the nation-style speech to the West Auckland Business Club.
Labour is looking at the Norwegian model for regulating the oil and gas industry, including stronger environmental safeguards and steeper taxes.
Labour MP Jacinda Ardern is putting a different spin on the phrase "on the record" by agreeing to do a slot as a DJ at the Laneway Festival on Monday night.
The frenetic activity is all about National and Labour grappling with one another for the early election-year political initiative and - hopefully - retaining it, writes John Armstrong.
Meet the backbenchers - Andrew Little, 48, married with one son, Labour List MP, elected in 2011.
Bill in works to make domestic violence a factor at sentencing - but first, the beach.
Labour says it will tackle "aggressive tax avoidance" by multinationals such as Facebook and Google which it says is costing the taxman hundreds of millions of dollars.
Labour's David Cunliffe faces a conundrum - how to convince New Zealand voters it's time to break away from the "old economic orthodoxies" when the data shows the country is poised for a relative boom, writes Fran O'Sullivan.
David Cunliffe says he has been given a written warning about a tweet he posted on the day of the Christchurch East byelection urging people to vote for Poto Williams.
What a useful chap David Cunliffe is to have with you at a bunfight, writes Kerre McIvor.
A Labour Party candidate in the first Super City elections has been found guilty of two counts of using forged documents but has been acquitted on 18 other electoral fraud allegations.
A police log the Maori Party claims shows extended surveillance of those associated with the Ruatoki raids contains nothing to be worried about, National's Tau Henare says.
Labour's Shane Jones says Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell should "put up or shut up" over Operation Eight and Ruatoki raids documents.
A members bill put forward by Labour’s Phil Goff which would tighten up rules for foreigners buying rural land will be debated in Parliament after it was drawn from the ballot.
Labour would raise the age of eligibility for NZ Superannuation to 67, make KiwiSaver compulsory for employees and increase the KiwiSaver contribution rate if voted into power.
Mood for change seen in quake city as a good omen for party's chances in next year's election, says Cunliffe.
Editorial: Regulation appeals to governments because it is the easiest response to a problem. But each affects people's freedom in some way.