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The House: A sentencing hearing in Parliament
Parliament and the courts are different branches of our democracy. On Thursday, during the debate on MP punishments, it felt like they overlapped.
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The House: Parliamentary week achieves two out of three goals
6 Jun 2025Sanctions against Te Pāti Māori MPs were historic, but they weren't the only thing that happened in the house.
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Health Committee hears submissions on Medicines Amendment Bill
5 Jun 2025The Health Committee has heard oral submissions on the government's Medicines Amendment Bill, which aims to speed up the approvals process for medication.
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Inside Pint of Order, Parliament's new in-house bar
4 Jun 2025Parliament, with an early history saturated in alcohol, has had no bar at all for months. The Pint of Order has now opened, and its dinky size may show just how…
The House headlines with summaries.
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Categories and strategy: The path of Parliament's members' bills
1 Jun 2025The House chats with senior MPs about the political strategy behind members' bills.
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What did the House get up to during Budget urgency?
28 May 2025MPs were stuck in the House from Thursday afternoon until midnight Saturday, when they debated a long list of legislation under urgency. The House breaks down the bills.
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Government urgency plans slow to a crawl
27 May 2025Last week's post-Budget urgency did not go smoothly, forcing the government to jettison earlier plans in order to make progress.
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Words and Numbers: Beginning Budget Day in the House
23 May 2025The opening stanzas of a new Budget begin in quiet formality, but get loudly political quickly.
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The House: Budget Q&A with Clerk Assistant James Picker
23 May 2025The House sat down with senior parliamentary clerk James Picker to chat through the Budget process and what you can expect to see in the House today.
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Privileges debate shortened: What was said so far?
21 May 2025The highly anticipated debate on the Privileges Committee report lasted just 25 minutes before it was adjourned. What has been said so far?
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The Governor General is deep in the DNA of Parliament
19 May 2025Former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand talks about the role's relationship with Parliament and the Executive, and its use as a guard-rail for democracy.
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Why was the Privileges Committee so harsh on Te Pāti Māori MPs?
17 May 2025Analysis: Reactions and advice from Parliament's Clerk, Speaker and even the committee chair show it has recommended harsh punishments.
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Wake-up call to MPs over building relationships after Treaty settlements
16 May 2025Public organisations are treating Treaty commitments like transactions, not relationships, the Auditor-General says.
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Urgent debate on redress for abuse in state care
MPs began the week with an urgent debate on redress for abuse in state care, and criticism of the government's change of mind about an independent redress system for survivors.
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Labour's 'conviction politician' waves Parliament goodbye
11 May 2025After over two decades, Labour stalwart David Parker is calling time on a long career with just a few things left unachieved.
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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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