The 10th annual Roll Call naming of Mr Key as the top politician was a straightforward choice, Trans Tasman editors said.
''Key stood head and shoulders above the rest in the polls and his party romped home in its third election - the third time in a row it has added extra seats as well.''
Mr Key polled highest among the Trans Tasman editors, contributors and their capital insiders who made up the panel which compiled Roll Call. Although there might be signs of trouble ahead for the prime minister if he was not careful, 2014 was his year, the editors said.
''Key is still phenomenally popular and if he comes through a third term without serious damage, a fourth could be within his grasp. But he'll have to be careful.''
The fall-out from the Dirty Politics saga continued when it should have been firmly put to bed in the campaign, the editors said. Mr Key's tendency to ''forget'' or ''mishear'' the question was becoming a worrying feature of the way he involved himself in the parliamentary and media discourse.
''For now, he is a titan but Labour has a new leader and a new sense of purpose and the next election is a long way away.''
The southern MPs had a mixed year, according to the Roll Call. Roll Call congratulated itself for picking Dunedin list MP and Police Minister Michael Woodhouse as someone to watch.
Mr Woodhouse was becoming a permanent fixture and could rise in the ranks again in the next reshuffle.
