In Parliament

House adjourns for a week shortly after passing the final reading of the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill - which will give local authorities the power to allow retail trading on Easter Sunday… Read more Audio

The Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill passes final reading by 62 votes to 59, following a personal vote. The bill will allow local authorities to make decisions about shop trading on Easter Sunday… Read more Audio

David Parker's Minimum Wage (Contractor Remuneration) Amendment Bill voted down by 61 votes to 60 after Peter Dunne withdraws his earlier support for the bill to with National and Act to defeat the… Read more Audio

An early start for MPs on the Health Select Committee which meets at 8am for the first round of oral submissions on its inquiry into a petition calling on the House to investigate public attitudes to… Read more Audio

House to sit under extended hours provisions on Wednesday morning for progress on several Government bills; Health Committee due to begin hearing submissions on Maryann Street's petition calling for… Read more Audio

Week in the House begins with a round of speeches praising the performance of New Zealand's athletes at the Olympic Games in Rio. Questions for the prime minister, John Key, begin with a series from… Read more Audio

Government makes a hash of what should have been a good week in the House with the Budget over its final hurdle, earlier than expected ratification of the Paris Agreement on gas emissions and the… Read more Audio

The New Zealand Intelligence and Security Bill, overhauling legislation governing the country's spy agencies, passes its first reading by 106 votes to 15 - with National, Labour, New Zealand First… Read more Audio

The Government announces an inquiry into the contamination of drinking water in Havelock North, but only after Labour's deputy leader and health spokeswoman, Annette King, raises the issue again in… Read more Audio

Health Committee receives a petition regarding melanoma treatment drugs, and hears concerns about Pharmac's model for approving the funding of such medicines; The committee also hears submissions on a… Read more Audio

Government ministers and MPs join together in the General Debate to claim credit for early ratification of the Paris Agreement on greenhouse gas emissions. Signed by 180 countries, the agreement was… Read more Audio

Two bills implementing the Government's 2016 Budget are progressed, with the Appropriation (2016/17 Estimates) and Imprest Supply (Second for 2016/17) Bills both passing final readings by 63 votes to… Read more Audio