The return to 10-year passports could come about in around six months' time, according to the Prime Minister.

Five MPs and their partners will jet off tomorrow on a $138,000 tour of Europe led by Parliament's Speaker, David Carter.

New Zealanders are set to enjoy 10-year passports once again - but at a price.

Politicians have passed a law change to claw back their hefty pay hike, but will still be able cash up any perks that are scrapped in the future.

The prospect of hefty rates increases are going down like a lead balloon in feedback on the new 10-year budget.

The first of a two-part series wrapping up the Herald’s coverage of Auckland’s spending plan, Bernard Orsman asks local board leaders what they think of the proposals.

Labour says former Revenue Minister Peter Dunne should answer for a blowout in the cost of implementing child support changes to $163 million.

Auckland Council's desperate hunt for new revenue to supplement an ever-growing rates burden may be boosted by a Local Government NZ funding review.

Prime Minister John Key has sprayed cold water on calls for a comprehensive rethink of how local government spending is funded.

The Government's widely touted return to surplus is likely to take a further 12 months and is largely reliant on cuts to spending.

Opposition parties say new Treasury forecasts that the Crown's books will not return to surplus this year as promised by the Government are an embarrassment.

Costs associated with the Christchurch rebuild account for the bulk of $214 million of unauthorised public spending in the past year, according to a new review.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has confirmed it would be harder to justify government funding if the America's Cup is Bermuda-bound in 2017.

New Zealand's fiscal outlook is not dire, but threatens to become so if the issues of an ageing population and poor-quality government spending are not addressed, says the New Zealand Initiative.

The Ministry of Social Development has signalled a need to “explore options relating to the age of eligibility” for NZ superannuation, and wants a review of benefit rates to tackle child poverty.

It was advertised as the Labour Party's last big policy of the election campaign. So small was it in size and so opaque was its intention that Labour's motive was anyone's guess.

This week a nation heads to the polls for one of the most important votes in its history, Liam Dann writes.

The New Zealand government's banking services are up for tender for the first time in more than two decades.

The last remaining 55 of world's rarest species of dolphins could disappear within three decades if New Zealand doesn't act now, wildlife advocates say.

PM John Key has hinted National is working on its own legislation to extend paid parental leave - but will it match the 26 weeks Labour is pushing for?

'Where's it all coming from Sunshine?' asks National of Labour's new child policy that will give most parents of newborns $3000 a year.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is naturally happy to attribute a big reduction in the state's welfare liability to the Government's efforts.

Govt defends decision to award $8m ferry contract to a Bangladesh firm

Another major government information technology project is experiencing rising costs and delays and is yet to deliver on promised intelligence technology.

If ... parents had introduced children to newspapers ... rather than addiction to idiotic texting, they would be addicted to the world, writes Bob Jones.

Residential prospects should never have entered university-council deal for much-needed sporting facilities, writes Brian Rudman.