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.

Labour's support among men has fallen to just 18.4 per cent in today's Herald-DigiPoll survey, taking a traditional gender gap in support for the party to a new low.

Labour will not impose Capital Gains Tax on a family home and its spokesman has reiterated that firmly today in a video interview with the NZ Herald.

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.

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.

What a difference one debate makes. An entirely new David Cunliffe emerged on the campaign trail yesterday - one with a spring in his step and energy that was all but absent earlier.

Auckland's home affordability headache won't be solved in a hurry but both National and Labour now have quick fixes for desperate home buyers.

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.

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.

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

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.

If Labour had announced a policy to hand out free money to house buyers, it would be accused of being fiscally stupid and economically ignorant.

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.

National has just announced $100 million over four years for new urban cycleways, as Labour and the Greens promise to eclipse that investment.

Labour's support among the elderly has slumped despite making free GP visits for pensioners the centrepiece of its election campaign launch recentl

David Cunliffe's prime ministerial credentials are still up for debate, but he was a clear hit with at least one member of the older generation on the campaign trail.

David Cunliffe would like to remain Labour leader and take the party into the 2017 election, even if the party loses at the September 20 election.

Labour has gone for the heartstrings in TV ads to be aired today while National has taken a more light-hearted approach as the on-screen political campaign begins.

National has boosted its Porkometer tally by almost $600 million in little more than a week with plans to spend up on schools, hospices and cycleways.