The House On Demand
Collection items
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‘No fair Ref!’: The political theatre of asking the impossible
5 May 2022A lot of what happens in Parliament is theatre, including asking for what you know is against the rules. Audio
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No matter what, any petition to parliament gets heard
4 May 2022The specialist Petitions Committee has processed a record number of petitions and it's only half way through the term. It hears petitions on almost anything. Audio
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Comings and goings: A week in the House
3 May 2022This week in Parliament features a continuation of debate on major health reform, as well as the coming of a new MP and the departure of a high profile MP who has brought the curtain down on his… Audio
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Select committees by Zoom, the great leveller
1 May 2022Doing select committees by Zoom can be clunky and lacking in nuance compared to in-person experience, but those who chair committees acknowledge that it improves overall accessibility of the public to… Audio
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Painting the legal jigsaw, one piece at a time
MPs are forever critiquing the law, but they seldom write it. They leave that to a team of experts who found a creative legal job you never knew existed. Audio
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Police: The unenviable portfolio
Ministers of the crown may seem powerful, but the reality of their roles vary greatly. Some are endowed with great influence, some others just come with blame. Audio
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It’s the putting right that counts, or something like that
14 Apr 2022Debating legislation is about getting things right, but sometimes settling on what is right can be a bruising exercise for MPs, as Parliament witnessed during debate on a Member’s Bill today. Audio
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Urgency called for as parliament committee works on pay gaps
13 Apr 2022Parliament’s Education and Workforce select committee has recommended that Government should consider requiring greater pay transparency from employers, and has been petitioned to add some urgency and… Audio
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Scrutiny of appropriations and appropriating for scrutiny
12 Apr 2022The latest from the House Audio
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Duelling quotes and holiday stars
10 Apr 2022This week in The House Phil Smith talks the tactics of Question Time while Johnny Blades looks at the unified division of debate over the new Matariki Public Holiday. Audio
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Journey of learning: Matariki Holiday becomes law
7 Apr 2022Debate on the Te Kāhui Matariki Public Holiday Bill found everyone in agreement that the start of the Māori lunar calendar should be marked, but not everyone agreeing a new public holiday should go… Audio
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The vanishing fallacy: The tactics of Question Time
6 Apr 2022Question Time is a contest where the tactics constantly evolve, and counter tactics shift to respond. This week one clever tactic appeared suddenly to disappear. Audio
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Back to font: Parliament as the source of cash and power
5 Apr 2022This week's reduction for Road User Charges shows Parliament is always the source of power and of cash. Audio
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Managing MPs - the ‘staff’ you can’t fire
3 Apr 2022Parliament’s Speaker is on a mission to stop workplace bullying and improve behaviour, even that of the ‘staff’ who can’t be fired. Audio
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Lessons from Christchurch inform Earthquake Commission transition
31 Mar 2022A new Bill looks to make life easier for people affected by major disasters, following the human disaster created by shortcomings of the Earthquake Commission in its response to the Christchurch… Audio
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Parliament’s second spring: a public return
30 Mar 2022Parliament has reworked its traffic light settings and the public are returning to the precinct, including school visits, public events, tours and public galleries in the debating chamber. Audio
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Decoding the names of bills
29 Mar 2022A bill by any other name (would be utterly confusing). We decode the naming rules for Parliament’s bills and laws. Audio
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Bill seeks streamlined path through surrogacy process
27 Mar 2022Surrogacy arrangements can often be difficult legal and health processes to navigate for intending parents and surrogates. A new Member’s Bill is looking to make it a smoother process that enhances… Audio
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Dating Parliament’s Speaker, and the ‘chair of doom’
20 Mar 2022The unintended consequences of one MP's early retirement with a bad day for the MP, who in the subsequent reshuffle, is allocated the debating chamber's 'Chair of Doom'. Audio
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The House For Thurs 17 March 2022
17 Mar 2022MP departures can have unexpected flow-on effects... Audio
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Iwi lead panacea process as Parliament grounds reopen
16 Mar 2022The community is welcomed back into Parliament's grounds, the next step in the transition back from stinky rubbish tip to a place for picnics, petitions, play and protest. Audio
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More work needed on hate speech, as Parliament marks mosque attacks anniversary
A motion in Parliament to mark the third anniversary of the Christchurch mosque terror attacks found MPs reflecting on how there is still work to do to counter extremism and hate speech. Audio
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Russia Sanctions - an explainer
13 Mar 2022On Wednesday Parliament unanimously passed a law allowing sanctions in relation to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Here's how it works. Audio
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Avoiding disinformation on law with explanations
10 Mar 2022When weird claims are made about bills and laws, where can you check the truth if you don’t have a degree in the arcana of legal drafting? Audio
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Skirmish tests notion of honourable MPs
9 Mar 2022The notion that MPs are people of honour who must be taken at their word was briefly tested in a skirmish which resulted in the first ejection of an MP from the chamber this year. Audio
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The law writing speeds: glacier, snail or rocket
8 Mar 2022Creating new laws takes years, except when it happens at break-neck pace. This week Parliament will consider a Russia Sanctions Bill under urgency. Necessity means it was also written under urgency.
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Sound and vision: hybrid parliament begins amid unrest
6 Mar 2022This week, not only did MPs have to contend with a riot on their front lawn, they also had to come to grips with a new hybrid parliament in which some members participated by Zoom. Audio
