The House

In politics, they say you shouldn't have any skeletons in your closet. But what about in your Parliament? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In the Sunday edition of The House, a story from Thursday and a new story: Returning some stolen citizenships gets likelier, and a petitioner to Parliament wants to include an oral undertaking to The Treaty of Waitangi – a guarantee of freedom of religion. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

After a robust select committee process, all parties now support a Members bill that would restore New Zealand citizenship to a select group of Samoans who lost it 4 decades ago. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Among all the government's resource management changes, the Fast-track Bill has received the bulk of attention. This week, a less traversed but equally significant bill from that suite became law. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament has featured in New Zealand’s official Gazette thrice in three days. Once over a possible referendum to ban fireworks, twice over the removal of an MP who caused fireworks. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New Zealand's official newspaper, The Gazette, has mentioned Parliament twice this week. Once to announce an MP was getting the rocket, and once to outline a hope to ban rockets entirely. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In the Sunday edition of The House Louis Collins talks Ministerial Statements with Chris Penk, and Phil Smith considers messages coming from public to government. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On Tuesday, the Government made a Ministerial statement about the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. RNZ's The House sat down with the Minister who made it. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Watching people make submissions to select committees about laws can give you an idea of what types of expertise and experience are most useful; and that one of the most crucial might just be... people like you. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Rather than wait for the Opposition to apply for an urgent debate, the Government decided to get in first and on Tuesday, gave a Ministerial Statement on the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In sports, you don’t argue with the ref. It’s a similar situation at Parliament with the Speaker. The Speaker isn’t just Gerry Brownlee though. There are four other presiding officers he can rely on to help carry the load. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Attend the session where MPs’ oral questions to the Government are vetted and authenticated by Parliament’s Office of the Clerk. The matching article for this story, with photos from a vetting session, can be found at The House's news page here . Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On the Sunday edition of The House, Louis and Phil consider a new Bill that reworks much of the legislation that underpins the running of Parliament, including its funding. (This episode combines two weekday episodes on aspects of The Parliament Bill and adds extra content.) Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

With all the talk about the Parliament Bill, The House sheds some light on some of the other items of business at Parliament this week. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Parliament Bill intends to prevent governments from wielding the power of the purse over the bodies that run Parliament. Phil Smith chats with Adrian Rurawhe (Labour) and Ricardo Menendez March (Green). Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

After years of suggestions for constitutional reform, the Parliament Bill has been introduced. In a rare occurrence at Parliament, a special committee has been set up to examine the bill. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Opposition MPs have rediscovered an old filibustering tactic and are using it to protest the Government's scanty use of Parliament's select committees. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament was buzzing with te reo this week. With many members using it in Question Time, the translation team certainly would have been busy. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Opposition MPs appear to have rediscovered an old filibustering tactic and are using it to protest the Government's liking for sending bills to select committees for very short periods. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Government's first budget is finally reaching the end of its long approval process, and it's going to be just in time. You might have thought it was all done and dusted months ago, but Parliament is pretty careful with giving away pocket money. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Chris Hipkins discusses his formal parliamentary title: Leader of the Opposition, and the very different job of leading in opposition. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Question Time is the political equivalent of managers being grilled in front of the board, even when the Prime Minister is being quizzed by the opposition. Imagining it as literally that gives a different slant to teasing out the answers, the deflections and obfuscations. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament adjourned early today in respect for Kiingi Tuheitia, the late leader of the Māori Kingitanga. Before they adjourned there were speeches. When Parliament began its September sitting block on Tuesday, MPs met only to acknowledge a death and agree to return the following day. The shortened day was to show respect after the unexpected death last week of the Māori King, Tūheitia Pōtatau Te...

This week New Zealand’s Parliament hosted the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, bringing youth leaders together from Fiji to the Falklands. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Climate Change Commission told members this week that climate adaptation is the "most difficult challenge this country faces over the next century." When New Zealand's colonial founders built our cities and towns, they clearly lacked flooding and coastal erosion modelling in their town planning. It is true that coastal and river-based settlements are inherently desirable in the way of acc...