The dream of first home ownership will be made easier by Prime Minister John Key's likely tax reforms, economists said today.

A West Auckland family with no money to spare are dreading the thought of a GST increase.

Two women were car-jacked at gunpoint while sitting in a McDonalds carpark in the early hours of this morning.

TVNZ says it always intended to phase out the 45 second ad for TVNZ 7's 'Focus on the Economy' series over the next few days.

Labour has written to TVNZ asking it to pull an ad it says gives National about $1 million in free publicity.

A woman is in police custody after the body of a man - believed to be her husband - was found in a west Auckland house last night.