Stories by Craig McCulloch
News
Ardern joins Canada PM Trudeau's flight to New York
Fresh from the Queen's funeral, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has caught a lift with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.
Uffindell stood down from caucus while more allegations investigated
National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus while an investigation is carried out into further allegations of bullying raised by RNZ. Audio
National Party elects Sylvia Wood as new president
The National Party has unanimously elected a new president at its annual conference in Christchurch.
Taxing NZ: National promises cuts, warns of Labour hikes
National's deputy Nicola Willis has sought to extinguish any doubt over her tax plan, telling members the party will deliver as much relief as it "responsibly can".
'I've seen it all': Peter Goodfellow looks back at 50 years as National member
National Party outgoing president Peter Goodfellow has acknowledged mistakes in his final speech, but says he does not regret trying to move the party into the 21st century.
'A bit of a surprise' - James Shaw's job on the line
A shellshocked James Shaw has been ejected from the Greens' leadership by a minority of party delegates and has yet to decide whether he will fight to stay on.
'We've politicised this issue too much' - Expert calls for mandated indoor mask-wearing
Professor Michael Baker is calling for much wider mask mandates, saying the roll-out of free masks, while positive, will make a "fairly small" difference to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Gang crackdown: National, Greens unimpressed, expert says moves 'well-targeted'
The government's gang crackdown has ignited opposition from both sides of the political spectrum but gained a thumbs-up from one of the country's foremost gang experts. Audio
Minister 'open' to immigration changes for nurses if new system fails
As new visa rules take effect, Minister of Immigration Michael Wood says he will monitor settings for nurses and will remain open to changes.
National MPs committed to not changing abortion law, Luxon says
The Opposition leader says all his MPs are united around the commitment not to change abortion law, as former Justice Minister Amy Adams says restricting the law would be "absolutely soul-destroying".
'I enjoy a challenge' - incoming Minister of Police Chris Hipkins dispels workload concerns
Incoming Minister of Police Chris Hipkins has admitted the government has a lot of work to do to tackle gang crime but says he "enjoys a challenge".
PM Jacinda Ardern to unveil Cabinet reshuffle
A spokesperson for the prime minister confirmed Ardern would announce some "minor" changes to the Cabinet line-up at 3pm.
Mallard criticised over silence on trespass notices fiasco
Parliament's Speaker Trevor Mallard has refused to answer questions from MPs about the trespass notices issued earlier this year - reigniting calls for him to go.
Joint US-NZ statement 'a little too US-centric' - Defence analyst
New Zealand seems to be on track to becoming full military allies with the United States, a defence analyst says, following the prime minister's White House visit.
Budget 2022 delivers $350 targeted cost-of-living payment
More than two million New Zealanders will get a one-off $350 sweetener as part of the Budget's centrepiece $1 billion cost-of-living relief package.
Reluctance to move faster on agriculture sector emissions 'quite terrifying' - former MP
Climate activists say the government's landmark plan to curb emissions is light on detail, full of fluff, and lets the worst polluters off the hook.
Power Play: Face time makes all the difference for Ardern
Power Play - The prime minister's trip abroad was billed as a "trade mission," but was most productive when it was leader-to-leader behind closed doors.
Ardern meets with Japan PM, they agree to boost security ties
New Zealand is beefing up its security ties with Japan in the face of "unprecedented challenges" through a plan to share more classified information on international issues.
Ardern lands in Singapore on trade mission as travel hiatus ends
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has touched down in Singapore after a clean Covid-19 test cleared the way for her first overseas trip since 2020.
Ardern on first overseas trip since 2020: 'Now is the time to get out'
Power Play - Few prime ministerial trips have seemed so long in the coming - and still so uncertain - after a nearly 800-day hiatus from international travel, writes Craig McCulloch.
China-Solomons deal cause for serious concern - Peters
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has accused the government of neglecting the Pacific and says his successor should have visited the region sooner.
Ukraine war: Green Party says $5m NZ funding could be diverted to 'saving lives'
The Green Party says New Zealand has put its relationship with the NATO security alliance ahead of saving lives in Ukraine.
Can Labour counter National's 'Christophoria' buzz?
Power Play - National has found its version of "Jacindamania" - and Labour may struggle to counter it in this volatile climate, Craig McCulloch writes.
Luxon supports Ardern's refusal to meet with Parliament protesters
The National leader will not negotiate with the protesters and says they are difficult to engage with given their "anti-social, abusive" behaviour. National's whole caucus has agreed not to meet them.
Red traffic light 'not good enough at stopping transmission' - Wiles
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles is "really worried" about the government's plan for an Omicron outbreak, warning the red traffic light setting will not be enough to slow the variant down.