Parliament congratulates All Whites on qualifying for Football World Cup finals in South Africa, welcomes new Green MP David Clendon as Sue Bradford's replacement, and spends the week skirmishing around National's revised Emissions Trading Scheme ...

More criticism of Treasury's emissions trading scheme cost estimates, this time from their own minister, Bill English. Labour MPs take offence after Paula Bennett claims they are sick and tired of hearing about child abuse.

Scoop's Lyndon Hood cracks into the news coverage of the National government's revised ETS - is ANYONE getting the numbers right?

Finance minister Bill English and his Labour shadow, David Cunliffe, play dancing with the stars as TVNZ's controversial "Plain English" programme promotion gets hauled over the coals in the chamber and the committee rooms. John Key goes too far in his ...

Parliament resumes after a fortnight's adjournment, welcomes David Clendon as Sue Bradford's replacement for the Greens, congratulates the All Whites on beating Bahrain, and gets into a shouting match over the cost of the emissions trading scheme with ...

Breakfast With Spanky On Christchurch’s RDU 98.5FM. Russel Norman joined us on the show this morning to give his opinion on whether Hone should get the boot from the Maori Party. In some ways they’re not too different- the Greens and Hone - ...

Parliament resumes after a fortnight's adjournment, welcomes David Clendon as Sue Bradford's replacement for the Greens, congratulates the All Whites on beating Bahrain, and gets into a shouting match over the cost of the emissions trading scheme with ...

Scoop's Selwyn Manning and Radio Adelaide's Peter Godfrey discuss how pressure continues to mount on Maori Party MP Hone Harawira even after he apologised for the racial slur in a private email. Does this smell of Nat-Whip Spirit?

The second week of adjournment saw only two Select Committees open to the public. The Finance and Expenditure Committee heard from Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard, who gave evidence to the Committee's inquiry into the Reserve Bank's Financial Stability ...

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said Hone Harawira is difficult to control and it does not look like he is going to change. The decision “to invite him to consider whether he would prefer to be independent” was made by the party a few days ago ...

Labour’s David Cunliffe and the Green’s Russel Norman deliver the conclusions of the cross party banking enquiry.

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira interviewed by Willie Jackson on radio Waatea about his trip to Paris, and the suggestion that his recent comments were racist.

KiwiFM: Manning & Wallace discuss why Hide's romantic junket is more offensive than Harawira's slur against Pakeha Kiwis. And what's the total amount of expenses charged to his ministerial credit card? What's the cost of the hotel bills, restaurant bills, ...

Selwyn Manning & Peter Godfrey on Govt Minister Rodney Hide apologising for 'casual use' of tax payers' money. Will it get him off the hook? Also, Maori Party MP Hone Harawira is in hot water after using racist slurs against white NZers in an email. ...

Radio Fiji Releases Audio Of Australian Visa Officer Warning Officers Against Accepting Fiji Judicial Appointments...

Audio on demand of Prime Minister John Key’s Post Cabinet Press Conference. The Foreshore and Seabed legislation will not be repealed until a decision has been made on its replacement, the Prime Minister said today. Key said his government has been ...

Wallace Chapman & Selwyn Manning discuss how a NZ Herald Digipol showed 49 % of those surveyed want MMP to go. Is it fueled by dissatisfaction with politicians? Also, the 2009 Melbourne Cup is set to run tomorrow. NZ's favorite is a mare called Daffodil.

Radio Adelaide: Selwyn Manning & Peter Godfrey discuss how NZ's PM John Key is not planning on heading to Copenhagen for the December climate change conference & appears to be dithering on climate change solutions. Also, MMP is under pressure!

Nick Smith finally gets his ACC bill off to a select committee, supported by the Maori Party for its first reading with ACT promising to go all the way. Government puts the House under urgency for sixth week in a row, but again fails to make the ...

Bill English stands in for John Key to answer questions from around the chamber about ACC, the foreshore and seabed, Crown debt and privatisation of water supplies which Local Government Minister, Rodney Hide, swears is not on the cards. Bill English ...

bFM’s Hamish interviews Metira Turei about her party's opposition to the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill

Police Commissioner Howard Broad and Police Minister Judith Collins answer questions about the launch of the Assets Recovery Unit, a police taskforce targeting the proceeds of crime.

MPs miss out on chance to debate their bills as Government puts House under urgency for sixth week in a row. Government blames media for delaying arrival of ministers in the chamber for Question Time. Opposition wants more information on TVNZ's use ...

National finally gets its ACC bill up for a first reading but only after third-ranked cabinet minister Gerry Brownlee has to answer a barrage of hostile questions about open ACC's workers account to competition.

Kathryn Jensen and & Selwyn Manning discuss how Bridgestone in Adelaide and its site in Christchurch will lay off workers at Christmas, closing operations at the two plants. Also, NZ and Malaysia have signed a FTA...

House under urgency for fifth sitting week in a row but still no sign of Government's ACC Bill. News of ACT's support for bill makes its inroduction likely next week to get it off to a select committee before Parliament starts a two-week adjournment ...

95bFM Audio: Scoop's Lyndon Hood joins us this week with an outline of the changes to backroom functions at DHBs, and a whinge of the (5) weeks over the government's use of urgency.

Labour renew their attack on Finance Minister Bill English's housing arrangements while Health Minister, Tony Ryall, reassures the Greens Sue kedgley that cellphone towers are perfectly safe. The Justice and Electoral Committee hears submissions ...

Hamish Fletcher talks to Health Minister Tony Ryall about plans to rejig the public health system.

Parliament back under urgency for 5th sitting week in a row, but breaks for Question Time as usual with almost half of the day's questions about the government's proposed changes to ACC.

Prime Minister rejects Labour's offer of support for ACC Bill, saying he will get the votes from the Maori Party. Finance and Expenditure committee begins hearing submissions on emissions trading scheme bill while the Speaker agrees to Labour's ...

Audio: PM Press Conference - Rugby World Cup (RWC), Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Scoop Audio + Photos : Prime Minister's Post Cabinet Press Conference - Monday, 19 October 2009 By Alastair Thompson

Peter Godfrey & Selwyn Manning discuss how the National-led Govt is moving to hike up ACC levies, instal claimant charges, and cut back entitlements. But first, will National remember to cross its political 'Ts' before its next announcement?

Bernard Hickey from Interest.co.nz speaking to Hamish over New Zealand's dire financial situation. The solution: leave.

The ACC minister Nick Smith speaks to Hamish over proposed changes to ACC entitlements and levies.

Parliament returns from fortnight's break to start another three-week sitting period. Government puts House under urgency on Thursday but fails to produce ACC bill to fill it. A new members' bill from the Greens Keith Locke has potential to trigger ...

Government puts House under urgency but Opposition wants to know what's happened to ACC Bill. Nick Smith admits he's still trying to get the numbers to send it to a select committee.

Relations between Speaker, Lockwood Smith, and Labour MPs take a dive in disputes over signs in the chamber and the tabling of documents.

As a new MP John Boscawen has already felt the thrill of being in on the action; his bill amending the Section 59 ‘smacking law’ was drawn from the ballot on August 26, five days after the national referendum. The bill, allowing parents to ...

Parliament returns from a fortnight's adjournment. Prime Minister, John Key, leaders party chiefs and Pacific Island MPs in morning the loss of life in the Pacific from the recent earthquake and tsunami. Questions for ministers include several for ACC ...

Uighur political groups have always supported peaceful Uighur nationalism and independence. However, the Chinese government has often referred to Uighur nationalists as terrorists and received more global support for its claims since 9/11. This year Barack Obama ...

Wallace Chapman & Selwyn Manning discuss how the PM John Key has launched his war on 'P'. The move must be applauded but we must be mindful to hold the Govt to account on its plan & ensure the money is not at the expense of other essential services.

Audio on Demand of NZ Prime Minister John Key's weekly press conference. Proposed legislative changes detailing 20 areas where ACC may be cut will be announced this Wednesday by ACC Minister Nick Smith. Today the PM singled physiotherapy co-payments ...

Selwyn Manning & Peter Godfrey discuss how the the disappearance of Ainsling Symes (2), from west Auckland has left Police & her mum & dad believing she has been abducted. Also, PM John Key's five point plan to crack down on 'P' (aka Ice and crystal meth).

Parliament resumes at 2pm on Tuesday, after a two week adjournment. Starting with question time, parliament is then likely to address bills on the order paper - unless the government persuades the Speaker to allow a snap-debate on an issue needing urgent ...

The Green Party super fund will divest from its two houses to “give clarity to the public”, Party Co-leader Metiria Turei announced today. The Party’s super fund has stocks in three different companies, a flat on the Terrace and a house in ...

Dr Najibullah Lafraie, from the Otago University Politics Dept, talks about the pending Afghanistan strategy decision from the White House. The Vice President wants to scale back operations and focus on drone strikes of terrorist cells. The commander of US ...

Minister of Energy and Resources Gerry Brownlee talks to Paul about potential earning power to be had from mineral deposits currently sitting in the ground

Spike's back for counterclockwise getting stuck into NZ's role in Afghanistan - why the PM was forced to admit that the SAS ARE in Kabul, and why he may change the secrecy rules around their deployment. Also, what's this about a written agreement we have ...

The Prime Minister confirmed today that New Zealand’s SAS is operating in Kabul, and said he will review his Government’s secretive approach to Special Forces deployments. A story in the most recent Sunday Star Times highlighted comments by a Norwegian ...

Labour Party’s vision of strong and inclusive community is very important to everyone. That is why Mr Huo says he shares that sort of a passion. The two main reasons for his standing as a candidate for the Labour Party were the encouragements given by ...

House adjourned for two weeks. Focus on the Beehive's response to Samoan tsunami.

The official number of dead in Samoa from the tsunami that hit on Wednesday currently stands at 80, but many are still missing or unaccounted for. Bill English said hospitals have been overwhelmed with injured and dead, and that they need all the help they ...

Sue Bradford announces she is standing down from Parliament –highlights from the press conference.

Government puts House under urgency for first reading of revised emissions trading scheme bill.

Speaker calls on Labour to show more courtesy but winds up ticking off ministers for giving provocative answers. Labour's Annette King disputes government action on unemployment with Judith Collins and makes quite a good joke while Nick Smith ...

Emissions Trading Scheme under debate. Sir Roger Douglas introduces members bill calling for an end to compulsory membership of student unions. House enters two week adjournment.

Parliament resumes but Government delays putting it under urgency while it puts the finishing touches on its new emissions trading scheme bill, to be introduced "as soon as possible" according to Leader of the House, Gerry Brownlee.

New Zealand’s Special Air Service left for Afghanistan on Wednesday, but the PM says he has a verbal assurance from the Afghan Government that any detainees they hand over to Afghan forces will not be tortured. Previous SAS deployments raised ...

Selwyn Manning & Peter Godfrey discuss how PM John Key is off today for New York where he will speak to the UN general assembly on nuclear-free NZ, meet with Ban Ki-Moon, have a convo with Barack Obama, and be a guest on the David Letterman Show!