Stories by Russell Palmer

With polls closing in less than a fortnight, some council candidates are focusing on opposition to three waters reforms - but will have little ability to stop it. Audio

National MPs have not seen an executive summary or the report into Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell, and say they would not expect to.

The government argues its bill will protect against asset sales and the contracts are nothing new, but critics say it should release details of an economic regulator first.

Expanded programmes for young people at risk of being caught in the cycle of crime is just window dressing from a soft-on-crime government, the opposition says.

Police Minister Chris Hipkins is defending the $6 million Crime Prevention Fund which has only helped five businesses and remains - for now - entirely unspent.

After last week refusing to rule out working with Brian Tamaki's Freedoms NZ Party, National Party leader Christopher Luxon's now saying it won't happen.

Newly independent MP Gaurav Sharma has used the election of the new Speaker to level new accusations against outgoing Speaker Trevor Mallard.

Labour has pushed through two bills to reform Oranga Tamariki and state care monitoring through Parliament, in spite of widespread opposition from other parties and sector proponents.

Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard is headed off to Ireland as New Zealand's Ambassador, 38 years after he first started working in Parliament.

Labour MPs who arrived at Parliament today ahead of the caucus meeting to vote on expelling Gaurav Sharma said they didn't trust him.

Suspended Labour MP Gaurav Sharma has - sadly - made things very difficult for himself, Minister Chris Hipkins says.

The National Party's new president has admitted its candidate selection process could be improved, after its Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell was suspended over bullying allegations.

The Auditor-General's submission on three waters legislation is a "constructive suggestion", the minister says, and a normal part of the Parliamentary process. Video

National and Labour are toeing the one-China line, but ACT leader David Seymour says he would be happy to visit Taiwan if invited.

Conflict in the Pacific is the last thing China wants, its ambassador says, as he talks up the country's economy, openness and commitment to multilateralism.

Opposition parties are crying foul over a donations law change, while the government is considering a separate fix to prevent big foreign funders secretly influencing elections. Audio

Four days after James Shaw was ejected from the role, Green MP Teanau Tuiono has spoken: He has not decided whether to put his name forward for the party co-leadership.

A new project merging local councils' water service IT systems as part of the three waters reforms could blow out beyond the $500 million upper limit officials have quoted, National says.

Farm-level emissions pricing must happen without delay, but the He Waka Eke Noa plan needs some critical tweaks to work, the Climate Change Commission says.

As new visa rules take effect, Minister of Immigration Michael Wood says he will monitor settings for nurses and will remain open to changes.

The new Ministry of Disabled People, Whaikaha, will be led by a non-disabled person - for now - after complications with recruitment.

However, more work is needed to understand the cost of rolling out a new approach to disability support, Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams says.

National MP Simon O'Connor has returned to Parliament with an apology to colleagues over a social media post that celebrated the US Supreme Court's overturning of abortion law.

With opponents of the government's three waters reforms saying they're dangerous, wasteful and unpopular, what's their alternative?

Co-governance in three waters is about the Crown meeting treaty obligations, and maintaining relationships between councils and mana whenua, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta says.