Navigation for News Categories
The House headlines with summaries.
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Shouting out, singing in: Rockquest at Parliament
11 May 2025In Parliament, MPs were shouting about pay equity and wildlife protection - next door, the mood was more upbeat and louder.
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Pay equity amendment puzzles
8 May 2025The Equal Pay Amendment Bill was passed this week under urgency, but left some puzzles in its wake. Answers to the questions 'why' and 'why now' continue to be revealed.
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MPs give pope a tardy but honest obituary
7 May 2025Returning from a three week recess, MPs' first business was a motion in honour of a pope, which elicited possibly Parliament's first Hail Mary.
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Cabinet-lite: Louise Upston sheds light on the Cabinet Committees
5 May 2025Parliament's select committees are well known. But the public never gets to watch the Cabinet committees, which scrutinises all policies before they reach Cabinet.
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Democratic guardrails: Is NZ safe from authoritarianism?
27 Apr 2025Other nations are experiencing the erosion of democratic norms - even authoritarianism. Is our constitution strong enough to withstand it?
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Peter Boshier reflects on nine years as Ombudsman
20 Apr 2025He says the public can rest assured that there is an enduring institution fighting for fairness and accountability.
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The unusual death of the Treaty Principles Bill
11 Apr 2025The Treaty Principles Bill has been brutally defeated in Parliament. We have highlights from key speeches, and explain why its demise is so unusual.
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Verrall and Brown go tit-for-tat in health annual review debate
11 Apr 2025The new Budget is six weeks away, but this week Parliament was still debating spending from the 2023/2024 financial year, in a long-delayed annual review debate.
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A Question Time scavenger hunt
9 Apr 2025Arguments, inferences, imputations, epithets… Many things are banned in Parliament's Question Time. The House goes on a scavenger hunt for them.
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Behind the door at a parliamentary privilege hearing
6 Apr 2025Parliament's Privileges Committee has been a major source of news over the last few weeks. What is privilege, and how does the committee typically work?
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Threats without consequences: Parliament's 'schoolyard stupidity'
2 Apr 2025Gerry Brownlee was a teacher when the cane ruled the classroom. As Parliament's Speaker, he is reluctant to use the punishments options available.
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The parliamentary processes behind the missing submissions story
4 Apr 2025Public submissions potentially ignored and unrecorded were a focus this week. We background how the process usually works and what will happen now.
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Gene Technology Bill: The public have their say
Nearly 25 years after the "corngate" saga, the debate on genetic modification is back thanks to the Gene Technology Bill currently in select committee.
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What kind of Parliament could be in New Zealand's future?
Submitters on a bill about Parliament asked for more MPs, a budget office and changes to Parliament's funding model. Audio
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The House: Urgency gives and urgency takes away
27 Mar 2025Parliament spent much of this week debating bills under urgency. The government can get more done in the House that way, but it also slows down progress in committees.
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The House: Hunker down for a week of urgent plod sprinkled with chaos
25 Mar 2025MPs will spend the week debating bills under urgency. We outline the key legislation proposed. Audio
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Climate change adaptation: Parliament asks the small questions
Parliament's recent inquiry and debate on climate change adaptation asked small questions, looked short-term and inched towards reactive solutions.
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The House: Urgency and fudging budgets
16 Mar 2025This week, Parliament began with a secret bill and ended with a debate on coping with climate change. Between the two the word "growth" bloomed. Audio
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A tough Budget preached in a revivalist tent
13 Mar 2025Parliament has debated its inquiry into the 2025 Budget Policy Statement. The government side was evangelical on growth, but the numbers did not suggest a promised land. Audio
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Parliament brings bail law into line with practice
13 Mar 2025Under urgency, parliament has updated the law on electronically-monitored bail, bringing it into line with actual practice.
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Fictional fiscal cliffs - misinterpreting budgets for political gain
12 Mar 2025The prime minister's much-repeated claim that he "saved school lunches" is nonsense, and relies on us not understanding how budgets actually work. Audio
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Four more years? MPs debate bill to extend parliamentary term
9 Mar 2025The current government is 16 months old. In just another 18 months or so, NZ will once again be at the polling booth. Audio
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MPs prepare to brave the response to congestion charging
6 Mar 2025Parliament kicked off this week with the first reading of a bill trying to improve something everybody hates - sitting in traffic.
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Urgent debate on Bayly resignation: Prosecution and defence
6 Mar 2025Parliament began its week with an urgent debate on an opaque ministerial resignation - in this ersatz trial, theories were plentiful.
