Alexia Russell

He has shattered our dreams, just one of the harrowing victim impact statements read out today as New Zealand's first convicted slave master was sentenced to 11 years in prison. A woman who kept her daughter as a slave and sold her for sex 1,000 times can now be named.

Thomas, who is going to win this election?

A war is what it is.

Not the kind that chokes fuel supplies and sends the economy into a spin.

The kind involving words.

So many words.

Just over six months to go till Election Day, November 7th, and the starter's gun has well and truly gone off.

Hello, I'm Alexia Russell, and in today's episode of The Detail, I'm checking in with The Herald's political editor, Thomas Coghlan, and RNZ's midday report host, Guyon Espiner.

I asked Guyon the same question I asked Thomas.

Who is going to win this election?

Okay, but he has been adamant that he will not go with Labour.

Thomas Coghlan, not so sure this time.

Could he go back on his word and go with Labour?

Talking about Nationals low polling, interesting column by Liam Dan on Tuesday suggesting a grand coalition.

And this is an idea that Wayne Brown, also the Mayor of Auckland, has floated.

They are not so different.

Surely it's not out of the realm of impossibility to see them working together.

You reckon there's a basic philosophical trench that's too hard to jump over?

Neither does Thomas.

Now, in January, I spoke to Thomas about how election year might play out.