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.

Sometimes, it takes an outsider to draw attention to something that's been staring you in the face for a long time.

When a major political party decides to hold its leadership election in public, we should hear something of substance from the candidates.

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.

David Cunliffe put his hat in the ring for the Labour leadership with an identical announcement to that of his opponent Grant Robertson.

Shane Jones will not win Labour's leadership ballot. But he may well be one of the ultimate winners from the party-wide contest, writes John Armstrong.

Prime Minister John Key says he is not bothered by any of Labour's leadership candidates, but whoever takes the reins will shift the party further to the political left.

"I'm not running to be the Pope, I'm running to be the leader of the Labour Party." Shane Jones' colourful past won't stop him having a crack at the leadership.

Deputy Labour leader Grant Robertson is the first contender to confirm he will contest the leadership following David Shearer's resignation last week.

A poll by TV One show Q+A has shown David Cunliffe to be the early favourite to lead the Labour party following David Shearer's resignation.

Matt McCarten writes: At the Labour Party's November conference, Grant Robertson or David Cunliffe will take the podium to give the leader's speech.

The six affiliated unions casting votes in Labour's first party-wide leadership vote will not be allowed to bloc vote and nor will the individual delegates casting the votes.

When the Wellington cocktail party set starts chattering openly about Labour's leadership, using slogans about how a "fish stinks from its head", it is obvious something is up.

Labour says it will weed out members of the National Party's youth wing and affiliates who may have tried to switch sides this week in a light-hearted attempt to influence Labour's leadership vote.

There is an old saying that being the Leader of the Opposition is the worst job in politics. The role has one rather large thing going for it, however.