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Opposition's backbench overtakes National's on bills passed
Members' bills can come from any backbench MP. Usually successful government bills far outnumber opposition bills - but not this Parliament.
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Saplings, stalking, and spying: Government bills this week
20 Aug 2025This week's bills are a mixture of unfinished business from last week along with a selection plucked from the Order Paper that are awaiting their next stages.
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Higher rates and more debt: Auditor General and former mayors
19 Aug 2025This week, two officials from the Office of the Auditor-General spoke with the Governance and Administration Committee about the Long Term Plans made by local…
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Spine and Punishment: A review of Swarbrick v Brownlee
17 Aug 2025Analysis: Last week, the Speaker made new rules and interpretations on the fly in punishing an MP who challenged the government to show some spine.
The House headlines with summaries.
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What can we learn from the PM's answers on Palestine and Gaza during Question Time?
13 Aug 2025National avoided taking a stand on Palestine in Parliament's urgent debate. What can we learn from the PM's answers on Palestine and Gaza during Question Time?
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The House: Bills this week
12 Aug 2025MPs are back for a two-week sitting block, with a smorgasbord of proposed laws scheduled for debate. Here are the bills up this week.
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Parliament's cross-partisan powerhouse and the new law that undermines it
10 Aug 2025One of Parliament's quiet, powerful committees is opposition-led and cross-partisan, but a new law from ACT may undermine that.
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Rats and mice to sort out: Parliament's tiny laws
2 Aug 2025The big laws debated by Parliament get a lot of attention, but others are so small as to be barely noticed.
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Petroleum law passes, with a last minute twist
31 Jul 2025After the rare occurrence of a recommittal, the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill has passed, after opposition MPs tried their best to extract answers from the Minister.
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Speaker nods towards large changes to Parliament's Question Time
30 Jul 2025Parliament's Speaker is considering a major rewrite of the rules for Question Time to prevent "an unequal competition".
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European Union parliamentarians in antipodes
27 Jul 2025This week on The House, we chatted with Seán Kelly, a visiting MP from the European Parliament.
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Space, spies, stalking, and extra sittings
24 Jul 2025Parliament this week is all-House, with extra debates and an interesting array of topics. However, slow progress has stymied some government plans.
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The House: Peters navigates opposition questions on Gaza
23 Jul 2025Parliament began this week with a Ministerial Statement from Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The House looks at the Q&A that followed.
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Are our politicians safe from threats and 'free to lead'?
MPs discussed online harm and the safety of public figures in a panel at Parliament this week. Why has it worsened and what is fuelling it?
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Parliament versus Executive: Regs Review and the Regulatory Standards Bill
18 Jul 2025A parliamentary committee tasked with keeping a check on regulation has heard how the Regulatory Standards Board would duplicate its role, but without its powers.
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Parliamentary agency resources under pressure
18 Jul 2025Speaker Gerry Brownlee has met with MPs and discussed Parliament's ability to cope with its increased government oversight and skyrocketing public feedback on bills.
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Parliament considering big changes to employment law
16 Jul 2025Parliament is considering an employment relations bill that would cement contractor status, water down or eliminate grievance claims, and end '30-day rule' requirements.
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The House: The other MPs
13 Jul 2025Despite being a non-sitting week last week, Parliament was brimming with political intrigue and drama between MPs - just not bona fide ones.
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The House: Making law - a final avalanche of edits
5 Jul 2025Before laws are finalised, MPs get a last chance to argue for changes. Pav Sharma, whose office manages them, explains the purpose, rules, and process for the many amendments.
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The House: Parliament's week ended early but was still packed full
27 Jun 2025Parliament's week ended early out of respect for Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp who died on Thursday.
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MPs pay tribute to Takutai Tarsh Kemp
27 Jun 2025It was a sad day at Parliament on Thursday, with news of the sudden death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Before adjourning, the House paid tribute to her.
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The House: Parliament's reaction to the Middle East crisis
25 Jun 2025The first business for Parliament this week was not Question Time, but a Ministerial Statement on the evolving Middle East situation.
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The House: Tactics from the 'Scrutiny Week' bear pit
22 Jun 2025When Parliament undertakes governance of governments, there are always tactics and politics involved.
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'Not doing enough': Peters holds court with MPs on New Zealand's foreign policy
19 Jun 2025Foreign Affairs is a portfolio that often receives bi-partisan respect. In an otherwise adversarial Scrutiny Week, Winston Peters' Foreign Affairs hearing was positively amiable.
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Scrutiny Week: Q&A with Lawrence Xu-Nan
18 Jun 2025It's Scrutiny Week at Parliament, when Ministers face Select Committees to defend their budget plans. We asked Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan about the week and the preparation necessary.
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The House: Morning Tea with Matt Doocey
15 Jun 2025For electorate MPs, weekends are generally spent in the community meeting constituents. Louis Collins popped into a morning tea Q&A hosted by Matt Doocey.
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The House: A sentencing hearing in Parliament
8 Jun 2025Parliament and the courts are different branches of our democracy. On Thursday, during the debate on MP punishments, it felt like they overlapped.
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The House: Parliamentary week achieves two out of three goals
6 Jun 2025Sanctions against Te Pāti Māori MPs were historic, but they weren't the only thing that happened in the house.
