The main issue in NZ politics today is the 2014 general election and post-election coalition options. [Read more below]
Today’s links
National Party
Herald: Editorial: Voters need to know before vote
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Winston may well be the stretch limo
Newswire: Peters rebuffs tentative advance from Key
3 News Online Staff (TV3): NZ First won't make pre-election deals
Vernon Small (Stuff): Nats 'won't rule out' talks with Peters
Barry Soper and Sam Thompson (Newstalk ZB): Winston Peters says the PM's wasting his time
Radio NZ: PM making backroom deals says Peters
TVNZ: Engineering election results an insult - Peters
Dene Mackenzie (ODT): Cabinet promotion for Woodhouse
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): From humble upbringing, a quick ascent
Adam Bennett (Herald): Key softens stance on deal with Peters
Radio NZ: National gives Maori Party the nod
Simon Wong (TV3): PM names possible partners, reshuffles Cabinet
Radio NZ: PM prepared to deal with NZ First
TVNZ: Coalition with Conservatives 'possible' says Key
Isaac Davison and Adam Bennett (Herald): Key refuses to rule out NZ First, Conservatives
Corazon Miller (Newstalk ZB): Craig's moon landing views not a sticking point – Key
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Key announces potential partners and new Ministers
Greg Presland (The Standard): National coalition with NZ First?
The Left Estate: Key’s Cabinet Reshuffle
Kieran Gainsford (The Left Estate): The New National Class
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): National + Conservative Party + NZ First + ACT + United Future + Maori Party
The Standard: A matter of “confidence”
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The case for minority government
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Small changes for Key Ministry for election year
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Key's coalition list a sign of weakness for National, re-birth for Peters & Dunne
Pete George (Your NZ): Key and Peters
Pete George (Your NZ): Centre/right party preferences
Rob Crawford Jr (The Watercooler): Politics: National no mates?
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Partners by choice better than necessity
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Does Winston want to go home?
Election year
Michael Fox (Stuff): Key coy on Obama visit link to election date
Grant Shimmin (Timaru Herald): Editorial: Let's go to four years
Bob Jones (Herald): General elections just ain't what they used to be
Michele A’Court (Stuff): The Logical Conclusion Party
Muriel Newman (NZCPR): Election Year Ideas
Bayden Harris (Liberal Notes): Who turned on 'Election Year'?
Kim Dotcom
Adam Bennett (Herald): Key dismisses Dotcom's planned Internet Party
Pat Pilcher (Herald): The Internet Party - About time
Liam Hehir (Stuff): The genesis of a party platform
Hamish Rutherford and Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Big shifts in Key's coalition preferences
United Future
TVNZ: Peter Dunne looks forward to 'picking up the threads'
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Dunne returns as minister
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Dunne to return as minister
Isaac Davison (Herald): Dunne back as PM 'looks to future'
Pete George (Your NZ): Key offers United Future an opportunity
Labour Party
Stuff: Labour 'point scoring' over Dunedin tragedy
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Incomplete Victory: David Cunliffe’s position in Labour’s caucus looks increasingly shaky.
Rob Salmond (Polity): English agrees with Labour tax stance
David Shearer (Herald): Focus on kids' nutrition key to healthier society
Len Brown
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Brown sets focus on the long haul
Briar Marbeck (TV3): McCready confident in Brown prosecution
ACT
Dan Satherley (TV3): Key backs Boscawen for ACT leadership
Chris Trotter (Stuff): Whyte's oratory and wit a nice surprise
Housing
Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On Housing as an Election Issue
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Housing affordability
Rob Salmond (Polity): NZ housing "severely unaffordable"
Inequality and Poverty
Radio NZ: Cost of living edges up
Dan Satherley (TV3): Hundreds of kids on sponsorship waiting list
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Waldegrave on living wage
John Minto (Daily Blog): The problem for the rich: how to keep your wealth without losing your head
Offshore gas exploration
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Dunedin has a choice
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Pro Oil and Gas Otago
Dave Cull (ODT): Opinion: Opportunity, challenge in gas exploration
Forestry
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Bridges non-committal on forestry review
Matthew Backhouse (Herald): Bridges will not commit to forestry review
Health
Dominion Post: Editorial: Investment needed for organ donations
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Difficult cases
Maori politics
Radio NZ: Maori leader for Forest and Bird
David Fisher (Herald): Audit inquiry clouds award nomination
Speakers conference
James Ihaka and Isaac Davison (Herald): Battle of the sexes at the conference of speakers
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Parliamentary speakers converge on capital
NZ-US relations
Isaac Davison (Herald): Key - Obama golf worth 'decade of bilaterals'
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Key, Obama talked Snowden during holiday golf
Other
Radio NZ: Animal group says ministry too lenient
Michael Foreman (Stuff): Demographia survey criticised
Stuff: Why New Zealand needs binding referendums
Anne Salmond (Herald): Treat rivers as taonga, not toilets
Calestous Juma (NZCPR): Learning from Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew
Richard Meadows (Stuff): Follow the money in 2014
