A National MP has been using a front company to maximise the amount of taxpayer-provided cash he can claim from the accommodation allowance.

A system of new national educational standards to assess primary school students is doomed to fail, academics across New Zealand say.

Ministers will have to personally buy the taxpayer-provided furniture, crockery and whiteware in their Wellington homes.

Agriculture Minister uses Hide's trick to bypass PM's order on international travel.

Days before its first anniversary, John Key's minority National Government has received a ringing endorsement from voters.

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.

The Maori Party is warning young Maori will fight back against police trying to take a DNA swab.

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

MPs today passed a law that by 2011 will allow police to take DNA samples from anyone they intend charging with an imprisonable offence.

The Government has released new education standards to be introduced next year, tracking a student's progress and reporting it to their parents.

The exact cost to the Govt of its bid for the World Cup rugby rights won't be known until the bid is accepted but is "considerably under $5m", John Key said today.

Maori TV's battle for the Rugby World Cup TV rights has ended in a total walkover with it now sharing all of the big games with the major channels.