"That hall looks as healthy as the Labour Party," someone remarked of the Runanga Miners' Hall - a building with a fine history to organised labour in the party's spiritual home.

After being relinquished by National's Chris Tremain, the battle for the seat of Napier has been heating up between Labour's Stuart Nash and National newcomer Wayne Walford.

The Labour Party election campaign is in a mess after one candidate reportedly made an anti-Semitic jibe shortly after another candidate sent a bizarre email.

Labour leader David Cunliffe has dissociated himself from his Rangitata candidate, Steve Gibson.

National's polling has barely flickered in the three weeks since the Dirty Politics book was launched the latest Herald-Digipoll reveals.

David Cunliffe is letting Labour down on the detail of a capital gains tax. The danger is that his imprecision will let down the case for a tax that New Zealand's economy needs.

The election campaign tax battle turned nasty yesterday as PM John Key accused David Cunliffe of punishing grieving children, and he returned with a Pike blow.

Housing Minister Nick Smith was shouted down when he claimed at a forum on Auckland's housing crisis that foreign buyers weren't impacting on prices.

When I wrote recently that this election was done and dusted, a storm of protest erupted on the NZ Herald's website from Labour's deeply unattractive, rabid tribalists.

Power bills have been rising relentlessly. The two sides of politics are divided on house best to rein that in - competition or regulation.

Despite the building tension surrounding the election, the first major debate between party representatives on technology and innovation remained relatively civil.

As the fallout from Dirty Politics swirled furiously around the political landscape, party leaders continued on the campaign trail around Auckland.

In the latest in this Herald election series, we look at the main parties' policies on tax and the economy - and what it could mean for you.

Nation, I'm bored. And not just because I watched this week's leaders' debate, but mainly for that reason.

When the Wallabies drew with the All Blacks in the first Bledisloe Cup match in Sydney, it was widely considered almost as good as a win.

More than 14,000 Herald Online readers have had their say on tonight’s leaders debate - clicking on our “buzzdial” more than 2.6 million times.

David Cunliffe is backing the party's choice of a couple used as a case study for Labour's housing policy, after the pair conceded they weren't actually looking to buy.

Today is D-Day for David Cunliffe. Debate Day. The Labour leader must seize the opportunity provided by going head to head with the Prime Minister.

The battle for the Te Tai Hauauru electorate is almost neck and neck between the Labour and Maori Party candidates according to a new poll on Maori Television.

Labour wants drivers' licences and passports in New Zealand to offer three gender options.

The Labour Party has broken new ground in election campaigns by announcing cuts to spending that it had not announced.

It started well enough, but John Key left Greymouth with a heartfelt plea from the widow of one of the 29 dead Pike River miners ringing in his ears.

In the latest Herald series on election policies, we look at whether parties are paying attention to voter's worries about land sales to overseas buyers.

Voters will know where Labour stands on buying back partially-sold power companies before the election, leader David Cunliffe says.

Bill English somehow neglected to mention New Zealand First in his press statement yesterday decrying the "big spending" promises made by Labour, the Greens and Internet Mana.

Labour and the Greens both want an immediate start to Auckland's underground railway, but are divided over whether to complete the $2 billion-plus Waikato Expressway.