JC: Tova Writes With Her Left Hand Only

Tova O’Brien is supposedly employed as Stuff’s Chief Political Correspondent. If her tea-making abilities are on a par with her writing abilities I would have grave reservations about hiring her to dispense the said liquid. If she were so employed it’s probably not too much of a stretch to imagine the cups, saucers, mugs, tea and coffee etc., all placed on the left-hand side of the trolley. Tova’s thinking would be: anything on the right would be frightfully unsteady while in motion and risk a spillage.

Philip Crump: Coalition Talks: Marry in Haste, Repent at Leisure

The delay has been characterized by several political commentators as ‘humiliating’ for Luxon, but is it?

As the coalition talks continue largely away from public gaze, newsrooms have become frustrated at the endless number of ‘slow news’ days that have left them without a regular line-up of political talking heads to provide daily content.

Focus has now turned back to Luxon’s mergers and acquisitions experience with questions being asked by political journalists as to why an agreement between National, Act and New Zealand First has not been reached already. The delay has been characterized by several political commentators as ‘humiliating’ for Luxon, but is it?

Peter Wilson: Week in Politics - Peters' no show steals the show

Christopher Luxon smiled his way through media interviews this week, giving calm assurances that talks to form his "strong and stable" coalition government were progressing at pace.

He's doing it well. The messaging hasn't changed since day one.

That's despite the obvious difficulties he's experiencing with his potential partners ACT and NZ First - particularly NZ First.

Andrew Dickens: Don't underestimate Winston Peters in coalition talks

Once again, thanks to MMP, we're back in a state of suspension and waiting for the conclusion of coalition talks. Which for all the parties' claims- are barely progressing.

And I think it's important for our collective sanity that we concentrate on what we know, rather than all the ifs, buts, maybes and reckons which we might imagine to be the case.

What is it that we actually know? We know that National and ACT and NZ First are willing to form a coalition, and that's pretty much it so far.