There are casualties following this morning's quakes, acting Civil Defence minister Gerry Brownlee says.

Auckland mayoral candidate Chloe Swarbrick has announced a shift to national politics.

The spying watchdog has urged Parliament to "tighten up" the warranting regime for New Zealand's intelligence agencies.

Property and farming rich listers are among those who have made big donations to National over the past year.

Spark is critical of spying laws which leave it up to the company whether to volunteer information about its customers.

Parliament has been told that its debate on assisted dying could encourage suicides.

Former Labour Leader David Cunliffe is leaving Parliament.

Former MPs and their spouses racked up $703,000 on taxpayer-funded travel in the past year, including nearly $25,000 by some couples.

COMMENT: Almost every country has a written constitution, whereas New Zealand has only 'scraps of legislation' uncodified and largely unintelligible.

COMMENT: You'd think Governments would have learnt by now that if they ignore Maori they do so at their peril.

New security gates which are designed to stop attacks on Parliament have instead claimed another victim - Government ministers' limousines.

Two major KiwiSaver providers are reviewing or planning to divest controversial holdings in clusterbomb manufacturers.

A National MP's bill on lost and found luggage will go before Parliament at a cost of $43,000 an hour to pass into law.

National and Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson has announced he will not seek re-election at next year's election.

Prime Minister John Key has defended the high travel bill for one of his backbench MPs.

National has been remarkably conciliatory so far for a party so long in power. An extension of paid parental leave deserves its consideration.

COMMENT: Is it democratic for a government to veto a bill when it has the support of a majority of MPs ?

The architect of higher tobacco taxes, Maori Party co-founder Dame Tariana Turia, has hit back at claims by a Maori smoking researcher that continued tax hikes are "racist"

Prime Minister John Key has made an embarrassing disclosure of a link to a company specialising in foreign trusts.

New Zealanders are being asked to volunteer or undertake an act of service on Anzac Day.

Male athletes travelling to countries where the Zika virus is actively transmitted have been advised to practise safe sex for three to six months once back in NZ.

The affordability of New Zealand's housing returned to the spotlight in Parliament yesterday.

Environment Minister Nick Smith says he will not commit to making every single waterway in NZ "swimmable" because it would be too complex and costly.

"Rodeos serve no place in New Zealand," say animal rights groups.

Labour MP Trevor Mallard has no regrets about penning a support letter for a young driver caught doing 210 km/h.

John Key: Back to it tomorrow. God almighty. Ugh! Kill me now, writes Steve Braunias.

National Islamic Women's Council not aware of any New Zealand jihadi brides heading to war torn regions to join the fight with Isis.

SIS director Rebecca Kitteridge says she did not know whether they were going as "jihadi brides" to fight themselves or to support Isis fighters.

Two schoolgirls will present a petition to Parliament calling for a commemoration day for those killed in the New Zealand wars.