The head of the Families Commission today told MPs she couldn't define a policy with a Maori name because she was a middle class white woman.

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee says a big energy company shake-up is designed to give more power to consumers.

The Government has unveiled a shake up of the state owned power companies in an attempt to get more competition into the electricity sector.

New Zealand underperforms when it comes to innovation but spending more on R&D is not necessarily the solution.

A former Govt minister is being investigated by police for allegedly using his ex-MP perk of taxpayer-funded flights on business trips.