Labour leader David Shearer has appointed his former press secretary Fran Mold as his chief of staff in an attempt to tighten political management of his office.

There are further changes in Labour leader David Shearer's office after his chief of staff Alastair Cameron resigned to be replaced by his former chief press secretary Francesca Mold.

The Labour leader's survived life-and-death situations, but on TV he comes over as hesitant and lacking in confidence, writes Audrey Young.

These are the things David Shearer wants to be talking about: The SkyCity Convention Centre legislation, Solid Energy, home affordability, jobs and the price of electricity.

At the start of the week, I would have put Shearer's chances of surviving at 80/20. Now they would be closer to 50/50.

Duncan Garner looked for a moment like an America's Cup yacht, racing no one but himself, he was undaunted, and grinded on, writes Toby Manhire.

A clerical assistant suspected of leaking two confidential cabinet papers has lost his Court of Appeal bid to challenge the findings of the Paul Rebstock inquiry into the leaks.

David Shearer has strenuously denied there are moves afoot within his own caucus to have him dumped as Labour's leader - and senior colleagues are backing him up.

The terse, four-paragraph press statement issued by Labour Party president Moira Coatsworth did not say very much. But in not saying very much, it said it all.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said his concerns about the bill had widened beyond the four he specified in his first reading.

Labour leader David Shearer has quashed his party's proposal for women-only candidate selections.

Labour has dropped its controversial plan to hold some women-only selections after its leader David Shearer asked for it to be withdrawn.

In getting the proposal off the table, Shearer has finally drawn on the well of authority inherent in his role as leader to bring the party to heel, writes John Armstrong.

Just when the country imagined women were doing well in politics, particularly in the Labour Party, the party's organisational wing says they are not.

Kerre McIvor asks: Who on Earth does Labour hope to appeal to with its proposal to have some electorates run women-only candidate selections?

No Labour MPs other than Manurewa's Louisa Wall will publicly back a proposal to have women-only selection short lists for some electorates to boost female MP numbers.

Congratulations to Party Central for putting gender equality ahead of diversity when it comes to the ranking criteria for selecting the next crop of Labour MPs.

Labour Leader David Shearer has come out against his party's proposed "man ban" on male candidates running in some seats.

Former Labour president Mike Williams says a proposal to allow the party to stop men from seeking selection as candidates in some electorates is "discriminatory".

The Labour Party is set to introduce a new rule under which electorates will be able to prevent men from seeking selection as a candidate by restricting it to women only.

Pita Sharples' resignation may be too little too late as far as strengthening the party's chances of surviving as a parliamentary force goes, writes John Armstrong.

How many drinks a day do you average?

David Shearer's claim that Labour pulled off an "outstanding" victory in Saturday's Ikaroa-Rawhiti byelection is hogwash, writes John Armstrong.

Longtime Labour MP Trevor Mallard is one of Parliament's last remaining renegades - being thrown out during question time with some regularity and remembered for his 2007 punch-up with National MP Tau Henare.