Normally, a new leader of the Opposition would relish the chance to boost his or her profile and start making some real waves through the platform offered by a byelection.

Labour leader Andrew Little would not have had to look far for reasons to be positive when he addressed his party's two-day caucus meeting yesterday.

Labour leader Andrew Little heads into a two-day retreat with his caucus today, only mildly buoyed by the latest poll results and the shock success of Labor in Queensland at the weekend.

Support for both Labour and National has gone up in the latest TV3 poll, the first major poll of the year, which reflects similar results to the Herald DigiPoll December survey.

A poll has revealed 55% of voters think Little is potentially a better match for PM John Key than his Labour Party leader predecessors.

Labour leader Andrew Little's pledge to make small business a priority in the next two years has lifted the responsibility and workload for small business spokeswoman Jacinda Ardern who will set....

National’s plan to sell off state houses will drive up rents for all renters, Labour leader Andrew Little says.

"The Labour Party I lead is about jobs, good jobs, skilled jobs, well-paid jobs." Andrew Little has delivered his first state of the nation speech.

An Auckland University lecturer Nigel Haworth and City Vision chair Robert Gallagher have put themselves forward to be the Labour Party's next President.

Labour leader Andrew Little and Prime Minister John Key are gearing up for their state of the nation speeches on Wednesday.

Labour's popularity has jumped three percentage points in the first political poll since Andrew Little took over the leadership and the first major poll since the election.

A world-class surfing spot and one of Northland's most picturesque strands of coastline are among more than 40 swimming beaches hit with a "caution" label for water quality.

It was a year of sorrows. It was a sorry excuse of a year. It was also a year of sorries. As of yesterday, they were still flowing.

A bill which would legalise voluntary euthanasia has been dropped by Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway at the request of his leader Andrew Little.

Matt McCarten, the former enemy, is now seen as a calm and pragmatic influence in Labour who could play a crucial role in its resurrection, writes Audrey Young.

Labour leader Andrew Little has appointed Matt McCarten as his chief of staff, keeping him on after his time in the job under former leader David Cunliffe.

Pre-sales of the first of 500 to 600 new Wynyard Quarter apartments start in February and the first show-home is being built.

Labour's review panel has reported back on its election campaign - finding a failure to unite behind David Cunliffe and confusion over its "Vote Positive" slogan.

Rodney Hide writes: Prime Minister John Key likes to text. So, perhaps it would help us all if Labour and the Greens drew up a list of whom the Prime Minister can and can't text?

Labour says it has secured concessions to urgent counter-terrorism laws including a shorter period of 24 hours for warrantless surveillance of terror suspects.

Andrew Little is not setting up his Future of Work Commission to be just another dull talkfest. Its real purpose is to chip away at National's economic policy, writes John Armstrong.

It was a tale of two speeches in Auckland yesterday for the Labour Party's new leader..

Little must be seen as a potential leader for all, not just narrow left-wing interests, writes Audrey Young, so the guest list was as important as the message.

Andrew Little has unveiled plans to challenge the way the Labour Party has traditionally related to working people in his first major speech outside Parliament.

It is not hard to get a rise out of Labour's new social development spokeswoman Carmel Sepuloni: just say she is Labour's equivalent of Paula Bennett.

Claire Trevett asks, "What does it say that the very first time Cheryl Gwyn tests her powers of inquiry, John Key decides to trust the version of his pet "blogster" over her own findings?"

Two fiery speeches by Little in the past two days have revealed the demeanour that he intends adopting - essentially bare-knuckle verbal pugilism.