Louis Collins

Question time is known for quick quips and the potential for gotcha moments, but MPs are constantly testing the boundaries of the rules.

More than 110 days since Budget Day, this week the government finalised the process of securing Parliament's approval to spend cash.

Each of New Zealand's 72 electorates is unique - so what's it like to represent the heart of our capital city? Louis Collins chats with Tamatha Paul and her staff.

This 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.

This 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 government.

This week in Parliament, a brouhaha about unparliamentary language, an eviction from the House, and apologies, or rather a lack thereof, stole the spotlight - but which bills went through?

MPs are back for a two-week sitting block, with a smorgasbord of proposed laws scheduled for debate. Here are the bills up this week.

After 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.

This week on The House, we chatted with Seán Kelly, a visiting MP from the European Parliament.

Parliament began this week with a Ministerial Statement from Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The House looks at the Q&A that followed.

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?

Speaker Gerry Brownlee has met with MPs and discussed Parliament's ability to cope with its increased government oversight and skyrocketing public feedback on bills.

Despite being a non-sitting week last week, Parliament was brimming with political intrigue and drama between MPs - just not bona fide ones.

It 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.

The first business for Parliament this week was not Question Time, but a Ministerial Statement on the evolving Middle East situation.

Foreign Affairs is a portfolio that often receives bi-partisan respect. In an otherwise adversarial Scrutiny Week, Winston Peters' Foreign Affairs hearing was positively amiable.

For electorate MPs, weekends are generally spent in the community meeting constituents. Louis Collins popped into a morning tea Q&A hosted by Matt Doocey.

Parliament and the courts are different branches of our democracy. On Thursday, during the debate on MP punishments, it felt like they overlapped.

The Health Committee has heard oral submissions on the government's Medicines Amendment Bill, which aims to speed up the approvals process for medication.

The House chats with senior MPs about the political strategy behind members' bills.

MPs were stuck in the House from Thursday afternoon until midnight Saturday, when they debated a long list of legislation under urgency. The House breaks down the bills.

The House sat down with senior parliamentary clerk James Picker to chat through the Budget process and what you can expect to see in the House today.

The highly anticipated debate on the Privileges Committee report lasted just 25 minutes before it was adjourned. What has been said so far?

Public organisations are treating Treaty commitments like transactions, not relationships, the Auditor-General says.

MPs began the week with an urgent debate on redress for abuse in state care, and criticism of the government's change of mind about an independent redress system for survivors.