Stories by Craig McCulloch

National and NZ First agreed to a two-year deadline in their coalition deal, but a year on, officer numbers have gone backwards.

It falls well short of the Ministry of Social Development's target of at least 95% correct payouts.

"You just can't go into the database, remove all of the people that should never have been on there, and then holler 'success'," one expert says. Audio

本届联合政府执政跨过第一个年头，总理Christopher Luxon接受RNZ专访，对多项政府举措给出回应。

Analysis - Luxon is loath to spend too much time looking back at his first year, and invited to share any lessons he's learnt, he draws something of a blank. Audio

Te Pāti Māori's extraordinary display of protest interrupted the first vote on the Treaty Principles Bill.

The Prime Minister has given a scathing appraisal of the bill on the day of its first reading.

Minister Louise Upston has directed her officials to stop publishing weekly updates on benefit numbers as the number of people on welfare reaches record levels.

The new Public Service Commissioner has joined coalition voices in criticising a health official as "unprofessional" for characterising some ministerial work as "crap" in an internal email.

The complaint comes after the Associate Health Minister accused health officials of undermining her efforts.

For decades, the question over one tax change has been kicked down the road, over and over.

The former comedian is back in the headlines, this time for making controversial comments about alcohol - but it's not the first time he's ruffled feathers.

John Ryan says he will investigate whether "appropriate systems and processes" were in place for ministers.

The ACT leader says that's because he likes "knowing who the idiots in society are".

Revelations $100,000 was spent catering a Te Whatu Ora conference have left officials feeling the heat from the minister.

SIS Director-General Andrew Hampton said "a small number of foreign states" were actively trying to steal emerging technologies.

Analysis - The ministry staffer and minister Casey Costello have every right to feel let down.

Christopher Luxon congratulated Winston Peters for uncovering the conflict, but refused to say whether the personal attack on the public servant was appropriate.

The Ministry of Health has apologised to Casey Costello for failing to inform her that one of its officials is the sister-in-law of Labour's Ayesha Verrall.

"I did not dedicate five years of my life to the NZDF only to be belittled by an ambassador of the very government I served."

The finance minister has implored public servants to bring new ideas to the table, while acknowledging she was "asking a lot" at an "unsettling" time.

Government ministers have pushed back after the Wellington mayor accused them of "punching down" in their recent criticisms of her council.

The government announced the breakthrough on Wednesday morning, while also hailing a further funding injection into the charity.

Analysis - Christopher Luxon made the most of his first East Asia Summit, but the harder ask will be now translating that to tangible results.

The PM has emerged with an official invite to New Delhi after his coveted meeting with India's leader in Laos.