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Meanwhile, a week of passing law
The political week has been packed with worthy distractions, but all week Parliament has focused on passing new laws. Here are the highlights.
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Samoan bill provides rare feel-good moment in Parliament
7:42 pm todayWhen the bill to restore NZ citizenship to some Samoans passed this week, Parliament's galleries were full to the brim with members of the community.
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The hīkoi and Parliament, where protests are two-a-penny
20 Nov 2024The House - Parliament protests run the gamut between solo vigils and a few thousand with amplified speeches. The hīkoi was an entirely new category.
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Press Gallery 101: The House chats with Jason Walls
19 Nov 2024After an abuse apology kerfuffle in Parliament last week, The House spoke to Press Gallery chair Jason Walls about how the Press Gallery works, and who gets to…
The House headlines with summaries.
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The House: It's all politics
14 Nov 2024In Parliament, anything and everything can be political including things as innocuous as playground equipment, clothing, colours, and even eating takeaways.
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Apology approved: Apology bill not so much
13 Nov 2024The House: With Parliament focused on polite apology without politics, two parties leaned more into angry and argued politics was unavoidable. Audio
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MPs urged to think wider on Parliament bill
10 Nov 2024The House - Parliament is debating a bill about itself. The first public submissions on it included thoughts on new powers for security, and stopping governments from starving their own watchers. Audio
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Photo essay: Fighting the wind to fly the flag
8 Nov 2024The House: Atop the Beehive a lone national flag is tortured daily by Wellington's gales. We join its handlers up on the roof to chat, watching as its fraying edges whip the sky. Audio
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The House - Harmony and discord in Parliament's inconstant chamber
7 Nov 2024The House - Parliament is a mercurial place. Debate can flick from amity to antagony with each shift in topic, especially if that topic is climate change. Audio
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Early Question Time sparring may indicate themes
6 Nov 2024The House -The beginning of a new sitting block at Parliament is like the opening minutes of a boxing match. Audio
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The House: This week’s bills
5 Nov 2024Parliament is back with only a few weeks of debate left before summer and a lot of legislation to debate. Here are the bills up this week.
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Treaty of Waitangi addition petitioned at Parliament
27 Oct 2024The House - Parliament is considering a request to add a fourth article to the Treaty, to include an oral undertaking made to the signatories in 1840. Audio
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Samoan citizenship bill: 'It's good to be on the right side of history'
26 Oct 2024After a robust select committee process, all parties are supporting a member's bill that would restore New Zealand citizenship to Samoans who lost it four decades ago. Audio
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Government passes RMA changes to freshwater
24 Oct 2024Among all the government's resource management changes, the Fast-track Bill has received the bulk of attention. This week, a less traversed but equally significant bill from that suite became law.
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The House: Being hoist on a petard, and hoping to ban them
23 Oct 2024Parliament has featured in New Zealand's official Gazette twice in two days. Once regarding banning fireworks and once over the removal of an MP who caused fireworks. Audio
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What to watch this week at Parliament
22 Oct 2024This week, Parliament's key action is happening both in the House and in select committees, and includes the RMA, mental health, and a request to expand the Treaty of Waitangi.
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The art of the ministerial statement
20 Oct 2024The House - This week, Chris Penk made a ministerial statement about the Manawanui sinking. Here's how such statements work. Audio
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Polishing laws with both experts and experience
18 Oct 2024The House - Attending Parliament's select committees can be an education, but not always the one you might expect. Audio
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Sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui: Parliament reacts
16 Oct 2024The House: Rather than wait for the Opposition to apply for an urgent debate, the government decided to get in first and on Tuesday, gave a Ministerial Statement on the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui. Audio
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Speaker's little helpers: Parliament's other presiding officers
13 Oct 2024The House: You don't argue with the ref in sports - or the Speaker at Parliament. It's not just Gerry Brownlee, though - four other people help to carry the load.
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In pictures: How Parliament's questions are vetted
6 Oct 2024The House - Attend the session where MPs' oral questions to the government are vetted and authenticated by Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Audio
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Parliament gets urgent on sentencing, mining, and charter schools
29 Sep 2024Parliament spent much of the week debating under urgency. Here's what they were working on. Audio
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Ensuring fair funding for Parliament and scrutiny
27 Sep 2024The House - A new bill would remove governments' power to determine funding levels for Parliament, the body that scrutinises its performance. Audio
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'Arcane but really important': Parliament Bill gets special committee
25 Sep 2024After years of suggestions for constitutional reform, the Parliament Bill has been introduced. Audio
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Opposition forcing long debates on brief committees
22 Sep 2024The House - The opposition has rediscovered a long-disused tactic, and recently used it to protest the government curtailing the time spent considering legislation in select committees. Audio
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Wā Pātai: Māori language week at Parliament
20 Sep 2024The House - Parliament was buzzing with te reo this week - but how common is this, really? Audio
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Budget 2024: Light at the end of the tunnel
18 Sep 2024The House - The government's maiden Budget is finally reaching the end of its long approval process, and it's going to be just in time. Audio
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What it's like to be leader of the opposition
15 Sep 2024One vestige of the pre-MMP era is the term 'leader of the opposition' - but why does the term still exist, and what does the leader do? Audio
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