The House

Headlines from scrutiny week honed in on the heated clashes, but behind the scenes the unglamorous work of number-crunching carried on. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament’s biannual Scrutiny Weeks involve a sudden glut of oversight, but what reaches the public is only a glimpse behind the curtain. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The first week of Parliament's final sitting block of 2025 is solely focused on scrutiny on past Government spending. It began with a back and forth on animal welfare. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A late night voting error during a fourth evening of urgency last week forced the Government to end urgency sooner than expected. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Urgency was the theme of the week at Parliament this week, both in the House and during the ongoing Standing Orders review into Parliament's rules. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

MPs are working on 13 bills under Urgency this week but numerous amendments and drawn out voting sessions threaten to slow the process down. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A bill reducing charges for clean vehicle imports has passed through under urgency at Parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

MPs are working on passing bills through various stages under urgency this week with one of those stages involving putting legislation under the microscope Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In the last week of the penultimate sitting block of the year, the House was moved into urgency for the progression of 13 government bills. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A loophole in parliamentary rules has avoided a debate, shortened a committee report back time, and resulted in 11 days for the public to have their say on proposed fast track amendments. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Amidst political distractions Parliament continued to consider legislation, with four government bills completing their legislative journeys this week. Two enjoyed relative consensus across the House. The other two not so much. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Question time was pushed back on Wednesday this week so that the House could address the report of the Independent Police Conduct Authority Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Question time is usually all about Ministers but today had an extra question directed at an MP outside the executive. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

If you follow New Zealand politics, you'll want to follow Politics NZ. Get Nine to Noon Politics, The Whip, Morning Report's politicians panel, Focus on Politics, The House, and Context all in one feed. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

MPs spend hours arguing in the debating chamber at Parliament but on certain occasions they put aside their differences and a new MP's first speech is one of those times. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week, the Standing Orders committee who are doing their triennial review of Parliament's rules heard from a former PM Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament extended its hours this week to progress three claims settlement bills for Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Paoa, and Ngāti Hāua. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

While the week in politics began with another chapter in the ongoing tensions within Te Pāti Māori, the House started the parliamentary week by resuming the consideration of the widely followed Regulatory Standards Bill. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The House chats with three members of the Parliamentary Library. More than just books and periodicals – it’s a research powerhouse. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The House on Sunday reviews the week's special debate on New Zealand’s struggling energy sector; and two signs that herald next election: the Standing Orders Review and... is that an interesting shape in Parliament's 2026 Sitting Calendar? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Parliament produced two heralds of the election to come. Crucial work on tweaking Parliament’s rules, and a calendar that may even hint at an actual election date. The first is crucial, the second just fun. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The law relating to how customary marine title is granted in New Zealand will soon change, with the Takutai Moana Bill passing its third and final reading in Parliament this week. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament’s Question Time is correctly named. Actual answers can be few and far between. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Today in Parliament, the usual agenda was put aside as the House dedicated the sitting day to lamenting the death of Jim Bolger. Almost all MPs made a note of his legacy as an advocate for Māori Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Governance and Administration Committee heard from submitters on the Public Service Amendment Bill this week. One such submitter, the Clerk of the House, said select committee scrutiny risks being weakened should a clause remain in the Bill. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details