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Latest episodes from RNZ: The House

Inside the Beehive's emergency command bunker

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2025 14:50


Under the Beehive is the National Crisis Management Centre – an underground command centre where NEMA can coordinate responses to national crises. We take a tour.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Government gets urgent on adoption

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2025 14:02


Parliament changed New Zealand's adoption laws this week. The bill was revealed at the last minute, and thanks to urgency and unanimous support, it was completed within a day.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

MPs celebrate Māori language week by arguing in te reo

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 5:21


Parliament's translation team would have been flat out this week as Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori saw an uptick in te reo usage at Question Time Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Government passes adoption bill under urgency

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 5:29


This week, the Government introduced an adoption law change at the last minute, which, thanks to urgency, passed all stages in one day. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Moves from the Question Time playbook

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 4:27


Perhaps the most recognisable part of Parliament is Question Time. But what techniques do MPs from both sides use to game it to their advantage?Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Politics vs Governance: The Budget finale

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 12:03


This week the Government's 2025 budget was finally approved by Parliament. The last major hurdle involved a long walk through a political minefield of questions, and even some answers. We look at the range of approaches, ideal and less so; including a new way to avoid answering questions.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The four month journey to budget approval

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 5:29


It's been over 100 days since Bugdet Day but lo and behold, the government is still in the process of securing Parliament's approval for the planned spending. The delay comes down to Parliament's lengthy financial scrutiny process. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament's workload and pace squeezing out committees

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 5:15


Parliament's week is traditionally shaped across three days. That shape is increasingly being squeezed and select committees are being forced into the margins. We consider the factors at play.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The House on Sunday: Parliament's local MP

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2025 14:27


Each of New Zealand's 72 electorates is unique, so what's it like to represent the heart of our capital city?Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A Tikanga for Parliament

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2025 14:59


Are Parliament's colonial underpinnings out of date? A former Speaker says Parliament ought to be a reflection of everyone, but isn't, and the mental shift needed would take collective political will. The House chats with Adrian Rurawhe and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi about how Parliament could better reflect Māori tikanga and kawa. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The House on Sunday: slow government lawmaking and suggestions of lying

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2025 15:00


Several significant bills were passed through the House this week, two of them being Opposition bills. Meanwhile, the General Debate proved to be a test of the Speaker's tolerance for accusations of lying. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Lies, damn lies and parliamentary debate

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2025 7:48


Mendacity is the bane of good debate. In Parliament both lies and claims of lies used to be naughty, but the floodgates may have opened on the latter.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Opposition backbench passes more bills than National backbench

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 4:52


Members' bills can come from any backbench MP. Usually, successful government bills far outnumber opposition bills – but not this parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament this week: ETS reform, stalking, and spying

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 6:12


This week's bills are a mixture of unfinished business from last week and a selection of other bills plucked from the Order Paper, and awaiting their respective next stages. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Spine and Punishment: A review of Swarbrick v Brownlee

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2025 15:01


Last week the Speaker made a series of new rulings and interpretations on the fly in punishing an MP who dared governing party MPs to demonstrate some spine regarding Israel and Gaza. We survey and analyse the incident and aftermath. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Political distractions dominate while the House chips away at lawmaking

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2025 5:48


This week in Parliament, a brouhaha about unparliamentary language, an eviction from the House, and apologies, or rather a lack thereof, stole the spotlight – but what bills went through? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

More rates and more debt: MPs hear from Auditor General on Local Councils

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 5:39


On Wednesday, the Governance and Administration committee were joined by two officials from the Office of the Auditor-General to hear about the long term plans of Local Government. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Palestine: Divining a position from a lack of answers

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2025 5:41


National avoided taking a stand on Palestine in Parliament's urgent debate. What can we learn from the Prime Minister's answers on Palestine and Gaza during Question Time?Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament's cross-partisan powerhouse and the new law that undermines it

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2025 14:50


One of Parliament's quiet, powerful committees is opposition-led and cross-partisan. A new law from ACT may undermine that, ceding parliamentary oversight to the Executive. We chat with the leaders of the Regulations Review Committee: Arena Williams and Nancy Lu. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

House on Sunday: Electoral enrolment changes, & 'Unimportant' bills

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2025 12:46


The Sunday edition of The House includes one fresh story, and a replay from Thursday. The new story covers the first debate on the bill to change the electoral law – including the requirement to enrol to vote earlier. The replay from Thursday's House looks at Private and Local Bills.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament's 'rats and mice'

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025 5:35


The big laws debated by Parliament get a lot of attention, but others are so small as to be barely noticed. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Opposition drills into Crown Minerals Bill

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2025 5:59


After the rare occurrence of a recommittal, the Crown Minerals Bill found itself back in committee where the Opposition tried their best to extract answers from the Minister. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Speaker nods towards large changes to Question Time

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2025 4:38


Parliament's Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, is considering a major rewrite of the rules for Question Time, potentially the first major reworking since the 1980s. Specifically the Speaker indicated he may ask the Standing Orders Committee (which proposes changes to Parliament's own rules), to consider balancing the playing field by allowing questioners to contextualise their questions. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

House on Sunday: EU MPs and a maiden statement

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025 10:49


This week on The House, we chat with a visiting MP from the European Parliament, and hear some of the highlights from Parliament's newest MP, David Wilson Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

European MPs at Parliament

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025 4:46


This week Parliament hosted MPs from the EU Parliament in Brussels. We chat with Ireland's Seán Kelly who lead the visiting delegation. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Space, spies, stalking, and extra sittings

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 5:28


Parliament this week is all-House, with extra debates and an interesting array of topics including space, espionage, and stalking. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Peters navigates opposition questions on Gaza

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 5:34


The sitting week this week began with a Ministerial Statement from Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The House looks at the subsequent Q and A that followed. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Are our politicians 'free to lead'

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2025 13:56


To mark the launch of the Ministry for Women's Free to Lead campaign, MPs discussed online harm and the safety of public figures in a panel this week at Parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament versus Executive: Regs Review and the Regulatory Standards Bill

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2025 5:23


A parliamentary committee tasked with keeping a check on the Executive has heard how the Regulatory Standards Board would duplicate its role, but without its powers.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

MPs check in with Parliament's boss

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 6:07


Albeit a month late, Speaker Gerry Brownlee sat down this week with the Governance and Administration Committee for a chat about Parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New sitting block, new bills

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 4:38


Parliament kicked off a three week sitting block today, and the first legislative business was initial debates and votes on three brand new bills. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

"We are watching, we are rising, we will not be silenced": Youth Parliament 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2025 14:26


Last week, MPs were replaced by their younger counterparts during Youth Parliament 2025, and just like real Parliament, there was plenty of drama. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Making law: A final avalanche of edits

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2025 14:54


Before laws are finalised, MPs get a last chance to argue for changes. Pav Sharma—whose office manages them—explains the purpose, rules, and process for the many amendments. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

House on Sunday: Debating war, mourning death

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2025 12:39


Parliament spent most of the week debating legislation under urgency, finalising eight separate government bills, initiating four others. Despite that effort, the week's most telling events may have been its bookends – the international tragedy that opening it, the very local tragedy at its close.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

MPs pay tribute to Takutai Tarsh Kemp

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2025 5:45


It was a sad day at Parliament on Thursday, with the news of the sudden death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Before adjourning, The House paid tribute to her in a number of speeches. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Bills under urgency

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2025 5:12


Parliament's focus this week is debating numerous bills under urgency. Across recent parliaments the use of urgency and extra sittings has become so regular as to be almost normal. But it remains important to know what laws are being debated and agreed – at whatever speed.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Situation in the Middle East: Parliament reacts

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 6:09


The first item of business at Parliament this week was not Question Time, but a Ministerial Statement on the Middle East situation.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The House on Sunday: Xu-Nan on scrutiny, and bear pit tactics

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2025 12:09


On the Sunday Edition of the House you can hear an interview with Lawrence Xu-Nan about Scrutiny Week and the preparation necessary. You can also listen to a description of a few of the Q&A tactics observed in the scrutiny hearings. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Tactics from the scrutiny bear pit

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2025 5:23


Scrutiny week is partly information-sharing and partly a partisan bear-pit. When Parliament undertakes governance of governments there are always tactics and politics involved. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Peters holds court at foreign affairs scrutiny hearing

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2025 6:08


Foreign Affairs is a portfolio that Winston Peters often receives bi-partisan congratulations on. In an otherwise adversarial scrutiny week, his hearing with the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee had a bastion of amicability and trust.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Lawrence Xu-Nan: Prepping for scrutiny week

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 5:56


This week at Parliament is Estimates Scrutiny week, when Ministers face Select Committees to defend their budget plans. We talk with Green MP, Lawrence Xu-Nan, a star scrutiny performer from last time round. As a former academic and one of a number of MPs with a PhD, Xu-Nan has the brutal research experience that is surely useful for digging into something as labyrinthine and esoteric as a budget.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The House: Morning Tea with Matt Doocey

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2025 13:45


For electorate M Ps, weekends are generally spent in the community meeting constituents. The House popped into a morning tea Q&A hosted by Matt Doocey. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

house morning tea matt doocey

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