The House

Legislation, issues and insights from Parliament.

Hosted by Phil Smith and Louis Collins

On air:

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

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Episode shared with you:

Local authorities urge MPs to support alcohol harm minimisation bill

A proposed member's bill addressing a power imbalance that prevents communities taking steps to develop public health measures on alcohol use could bypass the ballot process if enough MPs agreed.
Local authorities urge MPs to support alcohol harm minimisation billshared with you
Supplementary image for episode: Local authorities urge MPs to support alcohol harm minimisation bill

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A year of disruption: Parliament's 2022 in review

The last episode of The House for this year is an opportunity to look back at some of the goings-on in Parliament that we covered in 2022.
A fire is lit under the largest pohutukawa

The first guest on the floor

It's been an unusual day at Parliament. President Zelensky became the first national leader to address the House, and then MPs travelled in time. At least on paper.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listens to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's response to his address to the New Zealand House of Representatives.

Parliament’s week includes new bills and an historic speech

It is Parliament's final week but there are still bills sitting under the tree for MPs to debate, and some history to make with a Ukrainian President.
The Hansard team show off their festive decorating skills.

Go high: Parliament takes its roof solar

MPs often talk green, but Parliament is lowering its carbon footprint with hundreds of surreptitious solar panels; and providing a much wanted excuse to climb onto the roof.
On the roof of Parliament House, the Beehive is reflected in one of the many ranks of new solar panels.

Parliament cancels a reservation: explaining 'entrenchment'

Parliament began its final sitting block of the year this week by cancelling a reservation it made two weeks ago. No, it wasn't for a Christmas function. It was confusing, but we can help with that.
Fine dining generic

Focus on three Government bills in penultimate week

Parliament's year is rapidly nearing an end, and the Government has this week been focused on completion of three fairly major pieces of legislation.
Labour MP Dr Emily Henderson speaks in Parliament.

Demystifying Parliament: MPs open up in Westport

Five MPs travelled to Westport as part of a Parliamentary Outreach Programme aimed at connecting New Zealanders throughout the country with Parliament and its processes.
Green Party MP Jan Logie and students at Westport South School raise hands seeking to take a call during a mock parliament debate involving five MPs in a Parliament Outreach visit, 20 November 2022.

Submitting to Parliament (but in a good way)

Parliament Journalist Phil Smith has a crack at making a submission to MPs. Here is why you should bother, how you do it, how you really shouldn't, and how his went.
Journalist Phil Smith, from RNZ's The House makes a submission to Parliament's Standing Orders Committee.

A long week of Tuesdays and lots of bills

In a week when Parliament sat under urgency, across four long Tuesdays, quite a lot of legislative business has been progressed.
This photo was taken on 25 November 2022. However the date in the chamber still showed 22 November because on that day the Government moved a motion for the House to sit under urgency meaning that, technically speaking, it was 22 November for the rest of the week at Parliament.

Niggly nights: testy exchanges in the House under urgency

There's been a distinct niggly energy about the exchanges in the House this week, and it's got something to do with the fact Parliament is sitting under urgency.
Act Party Co-leader David Seymour speaks during the response to the Governor-General's statement on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, 13 September 2022.

Parliament’s full-steam-ahead Christmas wind-down

The holidays may be coming, but Parliament is winding up for looks likely to be its biggest week of the year.
Three Waters debate in Parliament, 23 November 2022

Parliament to sit under urgency this week

Parliament is this week to sit under urgency as the Government seeks additional sitting hours to clear a backlog of legislation that it wants to progress.
MPs back in the debating chamber for the first sitting day of 2021

The Parliamentary Collection: an eclectic list

"An incredibly diverse and eclectic collection", the Parliamentary Collection has great art, black rods, protest bricks, bodily parts and much more.
Parliamentary Curator Tasha Fernandez shows Johnny Blades Parliament's collection of taonga, stored in the vault.

Overwhelming vote, meet Reserved Provision

Parliament makes a rare step and amends a reserved provision of electoral law - something designed to be hard to achieve.
Parliament elects Adrian Rurawhe as its new Speaker.

MPs warned of ordeals ahead amid disinformation

A former Prime Minister has warned MPs they face a daunting challenge to maintain public confidence in the Parliament system in the age of disinformation.
Parliament's Standing Orders Committee hears evidence from a submitter, the former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer for the 2023 Review of Standing Orders.

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