Insurance company Tower is taking the Earthquake Commission (EQC) to court over how much it will pay out on Christchurch earthquake claims.

The Earthquake Commission (EQC) is classifying a large aftershock which rattled Canterbury this morning - the sixth biggest to strike the area since September - as a new event for insurance purposes.

Prime Minister John Key is set to raise concerns with the Earthquake Commission over allegations it owes Canterbury tradesmen hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Three months after the February quake, nothing much has changed for some residents in eastern Christchurch.

A big earthquake hitting Wellington would send EQC's reserves into the red, writes Steve Hart.

The Government is borrowing $380 million a week and next week's budget will carry a record deficit.

The New Zealand government ran an operating deficit of $10.16 billion in the nine months ended March 31, almost 15pc worse than forecast. The government faces a potential credit rating downgrade from Standard and Poor's unless it can...

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake, described as 'fairly violent' woke Christchurch residents...

Bitterness has emerged against cash-strapped AMI Insurance for undercutting rivals' policy premiums.

Prime Minister John Key said the Government has more spending to come, pointing at an EQC net cost estimate of $1.5b for the latest quake.

A $1.7 billion higher-than-forecast deficit points to the fiscal challenges the Government faces in its May budget, Prime Minister John Key says.