Question Time
Parliament at alert level 3: budget prep and tax bills
The House has resumed after a five week lock down and while the usual features like question time will remain there are a couple of changes. Audio
Not my problem: the rules on responsibility
‘Don’t ask me, not my problem’ really is an appropriate response from MPs in Question Time - but probably in fancier words. Audio
Standing by statements: the first question times for 2020
The first week of question time is done for 2020 and featured topics including coronavirus, Ihumatao, and gangs. Audio
A metaphysical Question Time – annotated
Some days Parliament’s Question Time passes without incident. Some days less so. Last week was a smorgasbord of angst and fracas. We annotate a metaphysical exchange. Audio
Mutually exclusive truths: the statistics of Question Time
Statistics are MPs favourite weapons. Question time is heavy with mutually exclusive numbers - which are usually all true. Audio
The week in questions: heavy on light rail
Newsrooms have a news value to determine how stories are weighted. In parliament stories are weighted differently and this week the weight was on light rail. Audio
"Does she stand...?" Scenes from a Question Time
Question Time is Parliament is the loudest free show in town. And it can be quite the spectacle. We caught the action of one typical Question Time on camera.
All care and no control
Responsibility is a recurring issue during Parliament's Question Time. Ministers are responsible for their 'kingdoms', but exactly how responsible? Audio
Should MP's curb their bad behaviour during Question Time?
Should MP's curb their bad behaviour during question time? Audio
Preempting attacks in question time
Question time is meant to hold ministers to account but that doesn't mean some of them don't try to get ahead of the Oppositions attacks. Audio
The battle of two Julie Annes
The war of Parliament’s Question Time is measured out in daily skirmishes. A proxy campaign fought by a handful of combatants, over rules as much as policy. Audio
The House today - Wednesday 19 June 2019
Parliament continues with its slightly different Wednesdays while the Budget Debate continues but the usual question time will still take place today.
The House today - Tuesday 18 June 2019
Parliament will carry on debating Budget 2019 and work on a bill setting next year's tax rates today.
The cat and a hat: when is a minister a minister?
Parliament is weird sometimes, like when it debates which hat you wear to put the cat out. No, really. It's part of the question... Is the Prime Minister always the Prime Minister? Audio
Gerry Brownlee discusses Opposition dispute with Mallard
A strongly-worded letter penned by the National Party questioning the conduct of the Speaker of the House has been ignored by Trevor Mallard. The Speaker has been confiscating questions from MPs and… Audio
Speaker refuses to respond to National's demands
A particularly testy session unfolded in Parliament today when National demanded Speaker Trevor Mallard respond to comments about an alleged sexist remark against the Prime Minister. Audio
Keeping House: The role of the Speaker explained
Analysis - From the outside, Parliament's Question Time looks like a scrappy playground at times, and Chris Bramwell writes that it's up to the Speaker to enforce the rules. Watch today's Question…
Front loading at oral questions
In Parliament’s Oral Question the Opposition took a lead from the All Black’s Sam Whitelock and tried Front Loading as a tactic Audio
Parliament’s to do list: more spending, farewell Coleman, and privacy online
Each sitting day in the House MPs work their way through business which is set out on the order paper. Here's what they plan to get through this week. Audio
3-D grammatical chess
Ministers sometimes refer to themselves in the third person - and it's not solipsism, it's required. Audio