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Legislation reforming abortion laws has comfortably passed its first hurdle but there was plenty of controversy along the way. Audio

The Green Party will be taking stock this weekend at its Annual General Meeting in Dunedin. Political reporter Charlie Dreaver looks at the ups and downs of the Greens' second year in Government and… Audio

It's that time of year when political parties venture out of the Capital for their annual conference. It's a chance for party members to come together to celebrate, or commiserate, the state of their… Audio

This week the Government announced it had reached an historic consensus with the agriculture sector on the need to implement farm-level pricing on emissions from 2025. It launched a discussion on two… Audio

A solution looks like it could be on the way for Lumsden, where there have been calls for its primary birthing unit to be reinstated. Key stakeholders met on Thursday to discuss solutions for offering… Audio

The pressure is on New Zealand's agricultural sector to come up with ways to meet climate change targets, that will be legally binding by the end of the year. Farmers will have to make significant… Audio

The latest parliamentary vote on voluntary euthanasia featured emotional and thoughtful speeches from MPs as they grappled with fundamental questions about the right to choose life or death, and the… Audio

An investigation by Newsroom catapulted the practice of removing babies from their parents into public awareness, and created a political debate about how it was being carried out by the agency… Audio

It's been a big week for defence, with the release of the long term plan including the billion dollar price tag for the new 'Super Hercules" and confirmation of an end date for the Iraq deployment. Audio

Young people are often criticised for not participating in politics, but as was seen in the recent strike for climate action, they also face criticism when they do. Political Reporter Yvette… Audio

Focus on Politics for 31 May 2019 Audio

A dark shadow passed over Parliament this week with revelations of bullying, a toxic workplace environment and allegations of serious sexual offences. Independent reviewer Debbie Francis found a… Audio

With less than two weeks until the so-called 'Wellbeing Budget' is revealed, RNZ Political Reporter Yvette McCullough takes a look at what's new in the process, who's backing the approach, and who… Audio

Voters will have the chance to say yes or no to legalising cannabis for personal use at the 2020 election. While that appears to be a relatively straightforward question, it covers a potentially… Audio

After a strong nine years in government, the National Party is now experiencing the trials and tribulations of life in opposition - that often centre around the leadership. Audio

This week New Zealand and France joined forces as world leaders try to put an end to the use of social media for acts of terrorism. Next month Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President… Audio

MPs are moving swiftly to implement a gun ban and buy-back scheme in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings. But some have criticised the pace of change, arguing it risks making mistakes or… Audio

As New Zealanders try to make sense of the Christchurch terror attack, questions persist about the role of the intelligence agencies, both past and future. Audio

On 15 March 2019, a gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 people, and changing New Zealand forever. RNZ political reporter Craig McCulloch looks back on how politicians… Audio

NZ First MP and government minister Shane Jones has found himself in the hot seat this week, facing accusations of a conflict of interest, "pork-barrel politics", and general buffoonery. But while the… Audio

News the so-called Kiwi jihadi Mark Taylor had been discovered in a Kurdish jail in Syria has prompted a broader debate about an issue many countries are grappling with - should citizens who left… Audio

This week the Opposition has put the boot into the government over the increasing costs being imposed on landlords. Our Political Reporter Jo Moir looks at the effect of new rental property standards… Audio