Parliament
Photo essay: cross-party MP group in Samoa
Five New Zealand MPs from across the political spectrum are visiting Samoa to build relationships within the country - and among themselves. Audio
Urgency done with urgency
During a briefer than usual urgent sitting in Parliament this week, multiple bills were progressed through multiple stages each in what would normally take a couple of sitting weeks of debate. Audio
Parliamentary Privilege: a balance of power and responsibility
When MPs screw up the consequences can be public and brutal. But sometimes that response has solid reasons which safeguard our system of responsible government. Audio
Privileges and more than a sense of urgency
Parliament has just six weeks left before it breaks for the election. There is still a lot yet to do, and to slow that down, one or two matters of privilege. Audio
Geoffrey Palmer: Strengthen Parliament to watch government
As an MP Sir Geoffrey Palmer had a huge impact on the interlocking shapes of government and parliament. The great reformer is still brimming with ideas for improvement. Audio
Ian McKelvie: Parliament's last country squire
Something of a throwback to when most National MPs staunchly represented farming interests, Ian McKelvie is however ending his career as an MP not defined by the tribal lines of party politics. Audio
The ways of Parliament’s committees
This week, RNZ’s Parliament show, The House, focused on the processes and outcomes of Parliament’s Select Committees. The Sunday show is a collation of this content. Audio
Therapeutic Products Bill in the panel-beater workshop
The Therapeutic Products Bill is one of those pieces of legislation that requires a fair bit of panel-beating in a select committee, and even then not everyone's happy with its shape. Audio
How select committees tweak bills
When things threaten to go awry it can help us learn how they work. So, how do Select Committees decide to amend bills, who helps them; and how do they track amendments and communicate with the legal… Audio
Parliament's backstop for extra government spending
An Imprest Supply Bill is Parliament’s way of saying to the government 'yes you can have that money, but also if you find you need to use more money on it, you don't need to come back and ask again'.
…Ministerial Grillapalooza: Photos from Parliament’s Estimates Hearings
Parliament has hit the time of year it turns into a combination of Glastonbury and the Inquisition - the multi-pronged miniterial grilling called Estimates Hearings. Audio
ACT’s pile-on Question Time tactic
The ACT Party has this month latched on to a Question Time tactic of using consecutive supplementary questions on a repetitive theme as a pile-on against the government. Audio
Bill tackling supermarket duopoly to become law
Legislation tackling a power imbalance in the grocery industry is among several bills that wound their way through the committee stage in Parliament this week. Audio
Jan Logie: Balancing frustration with hope
Jan Logie admits she had “zero faith in our political system” before entering Parliament, but remains hopeful of what can be achieved here, as she prepares to retire as MP. Audio
'A bob each way': Jacqui Dean on Parliament career
As she prepares to retire after 18 years in Parliament, National's Jacqui Dean has a knack for straight talk, and doesn’t mince her words about the work of an MP. Audio
Retiring MPs take stock of Parliament careers
In the first in a series of exit interviews with retiring MPs, The House sits down with Green MP Jan Logie and National’s Jacqui Dean to reflect on their time at Parliament. Audio
The unbridled Question Time
For any of Parliament’s speakers, the daily Question Time is a tricky horse to manage, let alone tame. Every Speaker brings a different approach, the current Speaker is trying riding with no reins at… Audio