Stories by Russell Palmer

Green MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins has died less than a week after giving his maiden speech in Parliament. Video

Grant Robertson will likely be most remembered as the Finance Minister during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Politicians have paid tribute to their colleage Grant Robertson after he announced his departure from politics, but leaders of the coalition parties have also offered some parting shots.

The Finance Minister has purloined one of Labour's favourite phrases in an economic speech.

Local Government NZ says a longer council term could be a good test case for Parliament, but it comes with a warning.

The minister responsible won't say, pointing only to regulations that could let it step in if needed.

Simeon Brown says it will "restore continued local council ownership and control of water services, and responsibility for service delivery".

The PM has brushed off questions about whether he has spoken to the ACT leader, who publicly said he did not believe what Luxon was saying.

Long before leading the Greens, his politics were influenced partly by his mothers and the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, starting him on a path of environmentalism.

The party says it has no position on a longer term, despite committing to introduce legislation on it.

The Health Minister is "increasingly anxious" about the possibility of a measles outbreak in New Zealand, saying the country was very lucky not to have deaths from the virus in 2019.

The investigation into leaked Cabinet papers about Fair Pay Agreements has been unable to find evidence of how it got to the media.

Speaking at National's caucus retreat ahead of the government's first year in office, Christopher Luxon says he wants his MPs focused on three things.

Mental health experts are calling for a bipartisan effort to further increase protections for MPs and workers, after Green MP Golriz Ghahraman's resignation.

With the resignation of Golriz Ghahraman, former Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown is set to enter Parliament as the Greens' newest MP.

Parliament has repealed the Tax Principles Reporting Act under urgency. It would have required a report on the tax system to be published by the end of the year.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters says it's better to talk to people whatever the circumstances, despite previous calls from his coalition partners for the ambassador's expulsion.

The Green MP initially refused to apologise after saying in Parliament the prime minister's claim the government was not weakening its action on climate change was a lie.

Labour says the government's books show the Finance Minister's claims of self-funded tax cuts don't add up. The Greens say it's "an exercise in gaslighting New Zealand".

Coalition partners NZ First and ACT say "Kāinga Ora" should be called "Homes and Communities", but do not appear eager to criticise National over continuing to use the old name.

Labour's leader Chris Hipkins says Kāinga Ora is an efficient house builder and he suspects the government is trying to "manufacture a crisis" and stop the house building programme.

If he is on it, he will be breaking a commitment made in June. He says the 757 will allow him to bring a media delegation, and he has asked the Defence Force to come up with long-term options.

More National Party MPs and ministers say they've taken taxpayer-funded reo Māori lessons, after Christopher Luxon's admission.

Each specifically praised their leader Winston Peters, and spoke of their upbringing and the course that brought them to Parliament.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Labour finance spokesperson Grant Robertson are each pointing the finger after the Cook Strait ferry project was cancelled.