The political year ahead

The Dom Post looks at the year ahead with, such as:hat they see as the challenges for each party.

NZ FIRST

• Put further distance between it and its former MP Brendan Horan, who looks set to ride out the scandal surrounding money from his dying mother’s estate.
• Reposition itself as a true cross-bench party by seeking opportunities to work with National as well as Labour.

MAORI PARTY

• Do a better selling job of its gains in Government – including Whanau Ora and its advocacy on tobacco control.
• Patch up the tensions between co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples.

MANA

• Use initiatives like Hone Harawira’s food in schools bill to broaden the party’s appeal beyond that of a Maori Party.

• Cement the Mana Party’s place as a natural partner to Labour and the Green Party in government.

Yep, I like the idea of the natural partner for Labour and Greens being Mana.

They also look at some unfinished business:

The auditor-general’s investigation into Labour MP Shane Jones over a visa granted to a former Chinese national: David Shearer’s likely promotion of Mr Jones back to his front bench suggests he is not expecting any fallout.

Novopay: Fourth-ranked Cabinet minister Steven Joyce has been put in charge of fixing the shambolic school-pay system.

David Bain compensation: It was back to the drawing board after Justice Minister Judith Collins threw out a report suggesting Mr Bain was innocent of murdering his family and deserved compensation.

Constitutional review: Launched at the instigation of the Maori Party, it has disappeared without trace – and could be overshadowed by a parallel Maori-led review.

I must have missed this parallel Maori-led review?