March was an eventful month in politics with new leadership, new and long-awaited policies and a damning new book alleging war crimes in Afghanistan. The month began with the promotion of Jacinda Ardern to Labour Party deputy. Would Auckland voters see the appointment of a young and liberal local as a positive, or as a cynical push for a bit of glamour? The Prime Minister also announced a very gradual change to superannuation, pushing the age out to 67, but not for another few decades. READ MORE:  â??How Auckland votes will decide the next government - so meet our Auckland Voter Panel Is Auckland too important to be left to Aucklanders? New Zealand needs to adapt to diversity Auckland middle class disenfranchised by property market, says business leader While many media commentators scoffed at the slowness of the shake-up - would voters, particularly those born after 1972, react positively? The recent string of allegations in the book Hit and Run has also been a big newsmaker this month, but how would it sway voters? We put these issues to our Auckland panel. As New Zealand`s biggest city, most diverse ethnic melting pot and thriving business hub, Auckland`s 1.2 million eligible voters have the power to decide the next government. But the super city is a complex and dynamic mix of young and old, brown and white, rich and poor. Read...

Actress and activist Scarlett Johansson has revealed she would consider swapping Hollywood for local politics. Read...

OPINION: As United States president Donald Trump is discovering, getting things done in politics requires law-making as well as rhetoric. Enacting legislation requires the ability to count and to build a majority. It`s not clear the Trump administration is well-versed in the dark arts of passing law in the US, where they haven`t even passed last year`s budget legislation yet. The haggling to turn Trump`s `beautiful` new healthcare policy into a replacement for Obamacare will require epic tactical cunning. Closer to home, the tortuous process of reforming the Resource Management Act limped on this week with the long-delayed report back to Parliament for second reading this week from the local government and environment select committee. Read...

Cabinet Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga says he will quit politics at the next election. The Local Government Minister and MP for Maungakiekie said this morning he was leaving Parliament `for a variety of reasons`.`It`s been an absolute... Read...

Auckland mayoral candidate Chloe Swarbrick will run for the Green Party at next year`s general election.Swarbrick, 22, announced her shift from local to national politics this morning.In a statement on her Facebook page, Swarbrick... Read...

Michael Wood’s shameless flip-flop on public transport shows Mt Roskill voters can’t trust a word he says on the local issues that really matter, National candidate Dr Parmjeet Parmar says. Read...

Ousted Horowhenua mayor Brendan Duffy will not be giving any parting shots to his replacement, but does stand by all he achieved after 21 years on council. Read...

The New Zealand dollar was little changed as investors scale back their expectations for how low local interest rates will go, although US politics and monetary policy continue to dominate global markets.The kiwi traded at 71.48... Read...

Debates over poverty and homelessness contributed to a shift to the left in three of the country`s main cities in the local body elections, says politics lecturer Bryce Edwards. Read...

There are just seven days left to vote in the local elections. They say a week is a long time in politics but what is weaker are the excuses Aucklanders give for why they haven’t yet voted. Read...