ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND PARTIES
Evie Richardson (RNZ): Are you feeling ‘politically fatigued’ by the election?
Maria Armoudian, Ben Dekker and Timothy Kirpal Kuhner (The Conversation): Big political donations have hit $7.4m this election year. Are the rules tight enough?
The Post: Editorial – Labour finds vague theme; National finds 47 points (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Post): With no money to spend, Labour and National reach for different kinds of populism (paywalled)
Adam Pearse (Herald): Are there 480,000 undecided voters who will determine this election? (paywalled)
Jesse Mulligan: Dinner with the Party Leaders
Harriet Laughton (Post): ‘Better in the flesh’: The two sides of Christopher Luxon (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Luxon adamant coalition strong, stable on inside (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The best performing party of the campaign so far
Stuff: “Get on the roll now”: Chris Hipkins message to younger voters
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): ‘It’s a bit sad to be honest’ – overseas voters get the pitch from party leaders
Stuff: Which overused political phrase should be retired immediately?
Zoran Rakovic: The Disappearance and Return of the Students
James Nokise (Post): There’s an election on, so what’s a comedian to do? (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Scratchings have savaged the field in the 2026 election stakes (paywalled)
LEADERS’ DEBATE AND THE BILLIONAIRE QUESTION
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Who’s afraid of the billionaire question?
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): The secret … Leaders Debate
Ben Thomas (Post): The two Chrises are both winners in their head-to-head; shame about the prize (paywalled)
Rodney Hide: Tamatha Paul has found the immoral ones. She should check the caucus room
David Harvey: A Stupid Question – The Morality of Billionaires=
Richard Prebble: The question at the heart of this election
Stuff: Luxon v Hipkins: Stuff’s Leaders’ Debate set for October 20
OPPORTUNITY PARTY AND COALITION BOTTOM LINES
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong doesn’t believe Luxon rule-out
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): ‘Bottom lines’ are bulldust when it comes to talks
Adam Pearse (Herald): Opportunity abandoning tax reform next term ‘worth considering’ in potential National-led coalition – Qiulae Wong
Sam Smith (Stuff): Luxon says he wouldn’t work with Opportunity. Its leader doesn’t believe him
Duncan Garner (Listener): Will Qiulae Wong and Opportunity pick the next government? (paywalled)
Lloyd Burr (Stuff): Move over TOP, there’s a new political star on stage: POP
Andrew Gunn (Press): You never know when opportunity might call (paywalled)
David Farrar: What would TOP’s bottom line do the fishing industry?
MMP, TACTICAL VOTING AND OVERHANGS
Grant Duncan: Tactical voting and the overhang strategy: a smart idea?
Don Brash (Herald): A note to John Key and others: Nats voters are clever enough to work out a split vote (paywalled)
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): The chickens come home to roost
Civis (ODT): The hanging sword dangling over the election (paywalled)
NEW ZEALAND FIRST
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): The supporters who will vote for Winston Peters – while they still can
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): NZ First donor seeking major kina quota increase
Chris Lynch: Winston Peters says Chris Hipkins should be “behind bars” over COVID vaccine decisions
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): ‘Enough is enough’: New Zealand First wants to ban fireworks
Azriel Taylor (Herald): Real Life: NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones reflects on politics, the election and family
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