NZ Herald commentators deliver their verdicts on who won the first leaders' debate between John Key and David Cunliffe.

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.

Political parties - tired of repeated attacks on candidates' billboards - are using motion sensor cameras to catch the vandals, and passing evidence to police.

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.

Labour is reaching the bottom of the pork barrel with its remaining election campaign spending promises curbed by Treasury’s forecasts last week of lower tax take.

National Party member Brent Robinson says he's disappointed and upset about an "atrocious" smear campaign during the Rodney candidate selection in 2011.

With the economy performing well on most other fronts the residential property market remains its major defect.

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.

National is promising grants for first-home buyers on modest incomes will be doubled - to up to $20k for a couple buying a newly built home - if it is re-elected next month.

A multimillion-dollar taxpayer-funded cash injection for Team NZ's next bid to win the Auld Mug is most likely under a National-led Government.

John Armstrong looks at the PM's change of tactics as he tries to deal with the continuing fallout from the 'Dirty Politics' scandal.

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

Whatever voters do with the private emails an unidentified hacker has made public, they are better informed.

Embattled Judith Collins emerged unrepentant yesterday and announced she would not be stepping down after a political week from hell.

Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater got a response to an Official Information Act request from Justice Minister Judith Collins in just 37 minutes.

The rejection of the Government's flagship education policy by primary school teachers and principals was "sadly predictable" in an election year, according to Prime Minister John Key.

Cameron Slater and his Whale Oil Beef Hooked website have some passionate advocates. But Slater presents some risks as part of a public relations strategy.

New Zealand's economic recovery is tentatively under way, albeit with a few wobbles.

As soon as he stepped out of the chauffeur-driven BMW, he was on the back foot.

Prime Minister John Key yesterday hit back hard over the Dirty Politics allegations against him and his Government.

Primary school teachers and principals have voted overwhelmingly to reject the Government's flagship education policy.

Embattled Justice Minister Judith Collins has surfaced visiting an online retailer in Mangere but refused to comment on claims about her links with blogger Cameron Slater.

The inspector-general of Intelligence and Security's decision to investigate the release of SIS documents to Cameron Slater is "hugely significant", writes John Armstrong.

Key figures at the centre of the Dirty Politics furore including beleaguered Justice Minister Judith Collins were yesterday avoiding media but retained at least some support from voters and family yesterday.