John Key's promotion of Simon Bridges, Nikki Kaye, Amy Adams and Jonathan Coleman is designed to rejuvenate and modernise the National Party Cabinet before next year's election.

The first was being asked to chair the finance and expenditure committee.

If that spectacular display did not make Mr Dotcom a household name, the New Zealand police soon did.

It is said that Napoleon, on being told of the impressive attributes of a new general, asked, "But is he lucky?"

This has been another testing year for New Zealand businesses as they rock along the decade of "grumpy growth".

Newly released Treasury papers show it was sceptical about the chances charter schools will improve student performance .

Normally, talkback in the week before Christmas is full of callers ringing in with lovely stories of family get-togethers and their own personal Yuletide traditions, and we wish each other well for the holiday season. Nice, warm, fuzzy stuff.

Several months ago, Education Minister Hekia Parata called a meeting in her office to discuss the vexed issue of Christchurch school restructuring. Post Primary Teachers' Association president Robin Duff was among those invited to the evening meeting.

Unless he's softening him up as a potential coalition partner, writes Brian Rudman. "But better fun surely just to sit back and enjoy the sight of another of the New Zealand First leader's hand-picked acolytes going rogue."

Editorial: MP Brendon Horan is right: it is not fair. He has been investigated only by his erstwhile party leader, whose verdict is final as far as the party is concerned.

Editorial: Auckland has seldom hosted a more globally important meeting than the negotiations that start today on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

National still believes that all growth is good growth, but it isn't, writes Russel Norman. "Growth that leads to more debt, pollution and environmental destruction is bad growth."

Recent polls have shown that Labour's popularity is on the rise, with one indicating Labour, with support of the Greens, would hold enough seats to run Government.

Australian authorities will get the full cooperation of New Zealand investigators if they choose to extradite the conman convicted of a $3 million fraud.

The man at the centre of an alleged $3 million fraud case will discover his fate in two weeks.

Loizos Michaels convinced people to "think big" and believe in his investment plans - before he fleeced them of more than $3 million, a court has heard.

The former chief executive of Christchurch Casino had plans to take over SkyCity with backing from National Party president Peter Goodfellow, says an alleged conman.

Labour's leadership woes are the gift for National that keeps on giving, writes John Armstrong. "But it will only keep on giving for as long as National is careful not to disturb the unhappy equilibrium."

Two senior National Party figures were involved in plans to apply for a casino licence, an alleged conman says.

Five years after they were thrust unwillingly into the political spotlight, things have changed for the residents of McGehan Close - much of it for the better.

After a rocky couple of gaffes, the Prime Minister defends his style, saying 'I came in as John Key and I'm going out as John Key.'

National MP list Tau Henare spoke passionately in favour of a bill last night allowing people to swear to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi in official oaths but voted against it, along with the rest of his party.