The House

Legislation, issues and insights from Parliament.

Hosted by Phil Smith & Louis Collins

On air:

Tuesday - Wednesday at 8.20pm (when Parliament is sitting), Sundays at 7.45am, encore 10.45pm on RNZ National

Podcast Title 'The House' set in a bold font on an outside wall, with a image of the parliament house seen through a window

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Parliament gets urgent on voting rules and climate targets

In its penultimate sitting block of the year, Parliament was in urgency debating 12 bills, The House looks at the two most controversial ones.
New episode
A sign points towards a polling place on Manners St in central Wellington

Penultimate week of the year begins with RMA shakeup

Parliament's penultimate sitting week began with a major shakeup to the RMA, helped along by urgency.
Chris Bishop adjourns the debate on the report of the privileges committee

Parliament’s gentle pre-Christmas slowdown anything but gentle

Rather than enjoying a gentle wind-down, Parliament’s final full week is packed with last-minute work as the Government tries to complete work and adds ten new bills to MPs’ piles for good measure.
The Hansard team show off their festive decorating skills.

Scrutiny Week: Politics, oversight and attention

Parliament's December Scrutiny Week is over. The House looks at the eternal tussle between politics and actual oversight, and the interlocking problems of scale and attention that mean you will miss most of it.
The media desk at a busy Select Committee hearing during the 2025 December Scrutiny Week.

Number crunching continues amid high profile scrutiny squabbles

Headlines from scrutiny week honed in on the heated clashes, but behind the scenes the unglamorous work of number-crunching carried on.
Green MP, Lawrence Xu-Nan taking part in Parliament's triennial Standing Orders Review.

Scrutiny Week: A cascade of diminishing attention

Parliament’s biannual Scrutiny Weeks involve a sudden glut of oversight, but what reaches the public is only a glimpse behind the curtain.
MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi in Social Services and Community Committee hearings during Scrutiny Week.

Scrutiny week kicks off with high profile issues dominating exchanges

The first week of Parliament's final sitting block of 2025 is solely focused on scrutiny on past Government spending. It began with a back and forth on animal welfare.
A sour in a farrowing crate at an indoor South Taranaki pig farm.

Urgency ends early after voting gaffe

A late night voting error during a fourth evening of urgency last week forced the Government to end urgency sooner than expected.
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Parliament's penultimate sitting block brings long nights in the House

Urgency was the theme of the week at Parliament this week, both in the House and during the ongoing Standing Orders review into Parliament's rules.
National Party MP, Louise Upston speaking in the Urgent Debate.

Voting process slows but doesn't stop bills under urgency

MPs are working on 13 bills under Urgency this week but numerous amendments and drawn out voting sessions threaten to slow the process down.
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Clean vehicle bill passed under urgency

A bill reducing charges for clean vehicle imports has passed through under urgency at Parliament.
loading an electric car

MPs debate the details under urgency

MPs are working on passing bills through various stages under urgency this week with one of those stages involving putting legislation under the microscope
Defence Minister Judith Collins during the Committee of the Whole House stage

13 bills get urgency treatment in penultimate sitting block of 2025

In the last week of the penultimate sitting block of the year, the House was moved into urgency for the progression of 13 government bills.
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Loophole results in 11 day submission period for fast track amendments

A loophole in parliamentary rules has avoided a debate, shortened a committee report back time, and resulted in 11 days for the public to have their say on proposed fast track amendments.
Catherine Wedd and Rachel Brooking in exchange during Question Time

Government completes four bills in a week of political sideshows

Amidst political distractions Parliament continued to consider legislation, with four government bills completing their legislative journeys this week. Two enjoyed relative consensus across the House. The other two not so much.
Parliament's Order Paper for week of 11 November 2025

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