Labour leader David Shearer says the proposed GCSB bill is "bad law" and would be repealed if the party was successful at next year's election.

Shearer's new chief of staff, Fran Mold, has three months at most to resuscitate his flagging leadership of Labour, writes John Armstrong.

Labour Party leader David Shearer says a shake-up of staff in his parliamentary office had been planned for some time.

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.

John Key appears to have made another concession over the bill expanding GCSB powers - this time requiring it to have regard to the Bill of Rights Act.

Labour MPs at the centre of rumours about a leadership move within are adamant that there are no moves under way to oust David Shearer.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Labour leader David Shearer will have to respond today to his party's proposal for a quota of female MPs after spending the weekend avoiding questions.

Prime Minister John Key has handed the Labour Party an olive branch over the GCSB bill.

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.