The Government's budget cost-cutting is likely to wipe out or delay a wide range of programmes and projects including those initiated by its support parties, ministers indicated today.

A proposal to put an iconic Coromandel beach into public ownership has been withdrawn, but a new estimate that halves the land's value has given the Green Party hope a deal could still be done.

Prime Minister John Key this afternoon acknowledged his Government's handling of its purchase of 34 new BMW limousines has been "sloppy", as he released documents showing the deal was mentioned to his office numerous times.

Prime Minister John Key saying the death of a NZ soldier in Afghanistan affected the handling of the limo controversy is "repugnant", Labour leader Phil Goff says.

Labour MP Ruth Dyson, accused of ramping up travel just before a perk for MPs was axed, says she will pay back the cost of her holiday to Ethiopia.

Now we know what "BMW" really stands for - Beehive Money Wasters.

John Key should have been aware of plans for the multimillion dollar purchase of 34 limousines, months before the deal was inked, documents show.

The Government should have been told one of its departments decided to sell three-year-old BMWs and buy new ones, Prime Minister John Key says.

Prime Minister John Key says the decision to spend millions of dollars on 34 BMW limousines was made by the Department of Internal Affairs and signed off by the previous government.

The Government is selling its three-year-old fleet of 34 luxury limos and replacing them with new BMWs, which the Green Party says is an outrageous expense when ministers are telling everyone else to tighten their belts.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully racked up $189,737 on overseas trips in the last quarter while Gerry Brownlee's expenses included $54 for two staff to have dinner at Midnight Express in Auckland. Overall Government ministers appear to have

National's outright copying of some Labour policy is as brazen as it gets when it comes to gazumping your opponent.