Focus on Politics

The election is rapidly approaching and it's still anyone's game. National and Labour are neck and neck in the countdown to September 23rd and there's still plenty happening on the campaign trail.

New Zealand is another week closer to the September 23rd election, and the race could not be tighter. National and Labour are neck in neck in RNZ Polls of Polls and the rest of the political parties are now in a fight for their own survival. Here's our political editor Jane Patterson and the RNZ political team on the campaign so far.

Another week on the campaign trail and another big story. The New Zealand First leader is claiming he's the victim of a National Party leak, after personal information about his superannuation payment made it into the public arena - just weeks out from the point those two parties may well be in post election talks. And party leaders have been busy rolling out some big policies, as they continue to visit towns and cities around New Zealand, including tertiary education and paid parental leave. We're going to talk our RNZ reporters who are out on the road with the politicians, but first here's our political editor Jane Patterson with a recap of the week's events.

The shocks just keep coming in this election campaign - the latest political leader to fall on their sword is the United Future leader and government ally, Peter Dunne. The other big news of the week was the opening of the government books ahead of the September 23rd election, which revealed a two-billion-dollar windfall for political parties, but one that comes with a catch. With our political editor, Jane Patterson.

Trans-Tasman relations have been strained at times but the controversy surrounding the Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and his links to New Zealand put the relationship clearly in the spotlight.

The Green Party's campaign slogan "Great Together" is now painfully ironic given its tumultuous week, with two MPs leaving and then its co-leader Metiria Turei resigning.

The tired old adage - a week is a long time in politics - has proven itself to be more than apt this week. In that time Labour has completely changed its leadership and campaign, and the Greens have had their own dramas. Our Deputy Political Editor, Chris Bramwell takes a look back at what's been a tumultuous week for the opposition.

The prospect of the Greens co-leader Metiria Turei being under investigation for benefit has raised questions about her place in a potential Labour Greens government. All political parties are busy positioning themselves ahead of the election, given more focus this week by the Prime Minister's nod to National's support partners in the key seats of Ohariu and Epsom. But on the other side of the aisle, the Labour leader has come under pressure to say whether Mrs Turei would have a place in any Cabinet he leads. Here's our political editor, Jane Patterson.

As the election draws nearer opposition parties are busy trying to carve their own path, while also presenting a picture of a stable, credible alternative government. However, nothing is straightforward, and the possible combinations of a Labour-led government could look quite different, depending on the number of seats each party ends up with after polling day. Here's our political reporter Mei Heron.

The Prime Minister wants to stick with National's current support partners if the party is in a position to lead the Government for a fourth term. But is that healthy and would it work for another three years? And what about New Zealand First? Despite his loyalty to United Future, ACT and the Maori Party, Bill English is still keeping the door open to Winston Peters. Our political reporter, Demelza Leslie, takes the pulse of the current governing relationship.