Jacinda Ardern says the race is "neck and neck" despite tonight's nine point lead to National in latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton poll.

John Armstrong's opinion: PM's excuses to drop Mike Hosking's show 'nonsense'

The Prime Minister has done herself a major disservice, says columnist John Armstrong.

March 12, 2021

The Beehive, New Zealand's Parliament.

John Armstrong's opinion: What presents should Santa give to some of NZ's top politicians this year?

Armstrong gives a few none-too-serious suggestions for the festive season.

December 25, 2020

Green Party Co-Leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw, left, and Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern.

John Armstrong's opinion: Don't mistake Ardern's talks with Green Party for kindness

Having been rid of Winston Peters, Ardern is hardly of a mind or mood to invite potential trouble from another source into the core institution of government.

October 27, 2020

Jacinda Ardern

John Armstrong's opinion: National's 'amateur-hour, bungle-filled' campaign could hand Ardern a single-party majority

Single-party majority governments have eluded every PM for the past quarter century, but the stars might have finally aligned, 1 NEWS' political columnist says.

October 16, 2020

Ardern and Collins clashed over Samoa’s Covid-19 response during last night’s Press leaders’ debate.

John Armstrong’s opinion: Pressure on Collins to lift National votes, even in defeat

The Greens face a short "wealth tax" negotiation if they are in coalition with Labour, columnist John Armstrong writes.

October 12, 2020

Winston Peters.

John Armstrong's opinion: Winston Peters and NZ First are goners come election night

Goodbye and farewell, columnist John Armstrong writes.

October 4, 2020

September 2020
National leader Judith Collins.

John Armstrong opinion: National could emerge from 'one of the bleakest episodes in its long history' despite poll result

There is another way of reading the poll’s findings, Armstrong argues.

September 27, 2020

The party's finance spokesperson says the September 9 announcement is the totality" of what they will be implementing.

John Armstrong's opinion: Labour's tax policy is just tinkering around the edges

The changes do not deserve to be dignified by being described as reforms, John Armstrong writes.

September 12, 2020

August 2020
Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins.

John Armstrong: Why next week might be the most crucial in the election campaign

Someone is thundering down the road in Jacinda Ardern's direction. Someone called Judith Collins, writes our columnist.

August 22, 2020

Opposition leader Judith Collins says if elected her party would focus on infrastructure and getting people into work.

John Armstrong's opinion: To win, Judith Collins needs to pull off NZ's biggest upset since politics began

New Zealanders have long had a habit of granting a first-term governments a second term in power, Armstrong writes.

August 5, 2020

July 2020
Judith Collins and Nikki Kaye

John Armstrong's opinion: Two options for next National leader - high-risk Judith Collins or Nikki Kaye, who won't win the election

Our columnist says the party shouldn't dare think about Simon Bridges again.

July 14, 2020

Hamish Walker not only killed his own political career by leaking private information, he overshadowed a roading announcement by his party.

John Armstrong's opinion: National 'deserves the book be thrown at it' after rogue MP's 'low-life behaviour'

The 1 NEWS political columnist says leader Todd Muller's disarming self-deprecation strikes the right tone, but it's not enough to turn the tide.

July 9, 2020

David Clark and Jacinda Ardern.

John Armstrong's opinion: 'It took too long' for Jacinda Ardern to give David Clark the boot

"In the end, he went because he did not do his job properly," 1 NEWS' political columnist writes.

July 6, 2020

June 2020
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 16: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister David Clark arrive at a post cabinet press conference at Parliament on March 16, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

John Armstrong's opinion: David Clark is Minister of Health in name only after calamitous Covid-19 testing bungle

Armstrong ponders why Ardern has yet to sack Clark after repeated issues.

June 21, 2020

Jacinda Ardern says NZ will further ease its coronavirus restrictions tonight.

John Armstrong: Is Jacinda Ardern utilising taxpayer-generated revenue in order to run a 'propaganda unit'?

Mr Armstrong debates the "spending of public money on so-called information campaigns".

June 12, 2020

John Armstrong: Donald Trump will be a one-term president for these reasons

John Armstrong: Donald Trump will be a one-term president for these reasons

No-one is more deserving of this ultimate booby prize than Trump.

June 6, 2020

Todd Muller has hit the ground running after taking over from Simon Bridges.

John Armstrong's opinion: Todd Muller needs to learn that the impression he gives matters

The furore over the National leader's MAGA cap may seem trivial, but it has significance.

June 3, 2020

May 2020
The Bay of Plenty MP rolled Simon Bridges and brings in Nikki Kaye as his deputy.

John Armstrong's opinion: Todd Muller is capable and qualified despite uninspiring opening as National leader

The former Zespri and Fonterra executive does have broad strategy for National’s recovery, Armstrong writes.

May 23, 2020

This year's Budget focuses largely on recovery from Covid-19.

John Armstrong: Budget 2020 - Jobs, jobs jobs or spend, spend, spend?

Boil last Thursday’s Mammoth of All Budgets down to its bare bones and you are confronted with two verdicts.

May 17, 2020

The Prime Minister gave an update today, ahead of the Government's announcement next week.

John Armstrong: Ardern and company have barely reached base camp in dealing with Covid-19 economic upheaval

A move to Alert Level 2 won't be the "economic panacea that many seem to think it might be," our columnist writes.

May 9, 2020

April 2020
The Opposition Leader said he's never received so many emails during Covid-19.

John Armstrong's opinion: Simon Bridges has to go, but is there another leader in National's ranks?

There are no attractive scenarios for the Opposition after a calamitous week from Simon Bridges, says our columnist.

April 27, 2020

people who cannot leave the house due to an epidemic

John Armstrong's opinion: Why New Zealand has to remain in lockdown

The Government will reveal its decision over New Zealand's Alert Level on Monday.

April 18, 2020

The Minister also admitted being a bit of an idiot after revelations he again breached lockdown rules.

John Armstrong's opinion: Never mind David Clark, PM has been calling the health shots anyway

Health Minister will get the axe eventually, but when doesn't matter much, our columnist says.

April 8, 2020

John Armstrong: We thought we'd beaten plagues, we were wrong

John Armstrong: We thought we'd beaten plagues, we were wrong

The sheer speed of events in the coronavirus crisis has been extraordinary.

April 3, 2020

March 2020
John Armstrong: Businesses trying to stay open during coronavirus lockdown are disgraceful

John Armstrong: Businesses trying to stay open during coronavirus lockdown are disgraceful

Jacinda Ardern must not tolerate any repetition of the behaviour exhibited by the likes of The Warehouse, Mad Butcher and Domino's, our columnist writes.

March 28, 2020