I haven't had a conversation in the past fortnight where the Labour Party leadership contest doesn't come up.

Some things are immediately obvious, like which is the faster boat. When I watched the contenders on television last weekend the likely winner was clear at the first cross.

Labour MP Shane Jones says MPs supporting his rival Grant Robertson in the Labour Party leadership contest should back him instead, following a 3 News poll last night.

Why doesn't earthy Shane Jones just come out and say it? "I'm not just another Labour 'soft cock'."

TV blogger Paul Casserly watches on as Heather Du Plesis Allan and Guyon Espiner get romantic with the men of Labour.

It's now half way through the leadership roadshow of the Labour candidates, known as the 'Three Stooges' by National, writes Claire Trevett.

Rumours are circulating again about the role Helen Clark had in moves to roll David Shearer as Labour's leader just before he resigned.

The candidates for Labour's top job are in an awkward position. They're campaigning for votes - aware that anything they say can be used in evidence against them.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman joins us at 10:30am for a live chat on the upcoming asset sales referendum.

David Cunliffe's attempt at marae-style humour might have fallen a bit flat at Labour's leadership meeting last night, but he rallied with fish talk.

In Shane Jones' heartland of Northland, the man himself is strolling down the street in Whangarei.

Labour leadership candidate David Cunliffe is joining us for a live chat at 12pm.

Labour's leadership rivals were in David Cunliffe's territory of Auckland yesterday, but it was Shane Jones who appeared to impress - even if he did say so himself.

The reality is that the leadership contest is all about which candidate best embodies Labour's soul and tradition as a party of the left, writes John Armstrong.

The Government's convention centre deal with SkyCity could see the taxpayer saddled with millions in cost overruns before building even begins, claims Labour.

Labour's leadership hopefuls have responded to their critics and laid bare their shortcomings, with Shane Jones joking his weaknesses were "fairly public".

The pork barrels have been rolled out in the Labour Party leadership battle, with Grant Robertson promising to introduce a "living wage" of more than $18 an hour for all government workers.

"The King is dead, long live the King!" That's how monarchy does it. The new leader is declared before the old leader is cold, says Rodney Hide.

David Cunliffe, Shane Jones and Grant Robertson answer some questions.

If he becomes PM, one of Shane Jones' first moves will be to deliver a one-fingered salute to Australia by extending Labour's policy restricting overseas-based foreigners from buying property in NZ to include Australians.

On the face of it, Labour would seem deserving of much applause for rule changes which now make the election of the party's leader a far better exercise in democracy.

Labour's leadership contenders will be bound to a spending cap of $30,000 and will have to disclose all donations of more than $1500 toward their campaigns - but not until the campaign is over.

The all-important centre of New Zealand politics is the battleground for swing-votes, writes Grant Duncan.

Despite the public shows of bonhomie between the three so far in an attempt to show a party undivided, there is a warning within The Odyssey for the two losers, writes Claire Trevett.

Labour's leadership candidates have already had to start reining in over-enthusiastic supporters in a bid to stop the contest becoming dirty.

The first step in reversing the drift away from the party brand is to select a leader who voters instantly link with the brand, writes Brian Rudman. There's one obvious choice.

John Key lost the plot in Parliament yesterday. The PM could not remember the question Labour's David Cunliffe had asked him moments earlier, writes John Armstrong.

This Labour Party election breaks new ground in New Zealand politics. For the first time the leader of a major party will be chosen by more than just the party's MPs.

There is something terribly wrong in the Labour Party.