Simon Watts
Parliament begins with money bills on a deadline
This week’s sitting of Parliament began with two finance bills that have deadlines attached. Audio
Revenue Minister on mortgage tax deductions for landlords
From April 1 landlords will once again be able to claim tax deductions for interest on residential investment properties.
In effect, this means interest expenses are offset against taxes paid on… Audio
Climate Minister on agreed COP28 deal
A global climate deal has been agreed to at the COP28 summit in Dubai. The deal calls on all countries to move away from the use of fossil fuels. This is the first time there's been a clear reference… Audio
Climate Change Minister on draft COP28 agreement
The Climate Change Minister, says the draft text of the COP28 summit agreement does not go far enough.
The current text refers to reducing the consumption and production of fossil fuels in a just… Audio
NZ climate change minister says phasing out fossil fuels is mainly about coal
New Zealand's climate change minister says the commitment to "phase out fossil fuels" is primarily about coal, rather than gas. The International Energy Agency says current emissions reductions… Audio
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts on offshore oil and gas exploration
The coalition Government says it will repeal the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration.
That's despite the United Nations saying the world is on track to produce around 110-percent more fossil… Audio
Climate leaders' debate
With less than two weeks to go, this election is heating up - but so is the climate.
Our first big target for reducing emissions is set for 2030 - just seven years away. New Zealand has pledged a 41… Audio
National Party says three waters revamp not much change
You can change the badge on a Lada, but it's still a Lada.
That's how National Party leader Christopher Luxon describes the rebranded three waters reforms announced by the government on Thursday.
… Audio
National Party says its Three Waters plan won't lead to rates rises
Many of the nation's mayors were interested listeners at the weekend when the National Party announced what it would replace Three Waters with.
In addition to confirming it National said it would… Audio
National Party backing alternative three waters plan
The National Party says Wayne Brown and his team have come up with much better plan for the country's three waters and it spells the end of the Government's unpopular proposal.
Auckland mayor Wayne… Audio
Three Waters shake-up could still see water privately managed
The country's water services could be privately managed under the Three Waters shake-up despite the Government's commitment against privatisation.
The reforms would allow services to be contracted… Audio
Parliament: The week inside
In the week after a big party conference you might expect that the themes raised in Parliament would often match the talking points from that event. You would be right. Audio
Three waters IT project could cost $500m
The contentious Three Waters plan includes a pricey IT project which officials say could cost $500 million - but the opposition fears it will be even more.
The project will need to link up the… Audio
Govt takes shareholding model in Three Waters reforms
The government is forging ahead with its Three Waters reforms and says it's time everyone else got on board.
It means drinking, waste and storm water systems will come under four massive water… Audio
ACC staff regularly in tears from stress after restructure - PSA
ACC staff say they are battling overwhelming caseloads, huge backlogs and are some are so stressed they're regularly crying in the stairwells.
It comes after a $74 million restructure to improve… Audio
New MP: National's North Shore Simon Watts
Every Wednesday - give or take - we introduce you to a first term MP, someone new to parliament and this week it's turn of National Party MP for the North Shore electorate Simon Watts. Audio
Spoken Feature: Witness History - Hadron Collider
Simon Watts talks to Paul Collier, a British engineer whose team built the multi-billion dollar machine designed to investigate the structure of the universe. Audio