The Parliamentary Service has announced its contractor has agreed to review the employment agreements of nine staff who work within Parliament and are on zero-hour contracts.

Distressed members of New Zealand's African community have rallied at Parliament to protest violence against immigrants in South Africa.

Deputy Speaker Chester Borrows chastised the Parliamentary Press Gallery for not "giving a stuff" about issues of democracy and focusing only on "giving politicians the fingers".

Taking on the presidency of a hairdressers' association was done with an eye on entering politics, New Zealand First's new MP says.

New Zealand First has confirmed its new MP will be parliamentary staffer and former hairdressing salon-owner Ria Bond.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is scheduled to hold a press conference in Invercargill this afternoon to confirm a new MP.

National criticised the Labour Party for "cronyism" when it was in Opposition, but a check through appointments shows National heading the same way.

There are four contenders finalised to contest the Green Party co-leadership and they will start a nationwide tour to woo for votes this weekend.

The two Budget-related announcements risked giving every impression that National is running on empty, reckons John Armstrong.

Winston Peters' triumph in the Northland byelection signals the most serious challenge he has mounted to National in two decades, writes John Armstrong.

At the moment, the only thing standing between New Zealand and its total loss of sovereignty is Winston Peters, writes Dita De Boni.

A woman whose daughter was murdered after breaches of a protection order wants the controversial three strikes law extended.

Limits should be placed on when fireworks can be used, not just when they are purchased, the Fire Service has told Parliament.

Winston Peters’ first contribution to parliamentary proceedings in his new guise as MP-elect for Northland must rank among his more bizarre interventions.

A win by Peters in the Northland byelection could affect the outcome of some upcoming bills, and could have changed the result of recent ones.

The hairdresser next in line to enter Parliament if NZ First leader Winston Peters wins the Northland byelection is now a parliamentary staffer.

Act leader David Seymour has been urged to 'take a breath' and ignore Government pressure to vote against the SkyCity convention centre.

Critics have attacked move they say will nearly double the value of international travel perks for former MPs.

Issues have been building up over the summer and Labour will focus on them when Parliament resumes this week.

Parliament's Speaker David Carter today announced that the traditional prayer he uses to open daily sittings of Parliament will remain as is, with its Christian references.

Two new measures that allow New Zealand's most high-risk criminals to be closely monitored or kept within prison grounds for the rest of their lives have been passed into law.

In Britain, they get the Queen to hold her nose and announce - "my government will..." - the legislative programme. We get instead her guy in Wellington, writes Toby Manhire.

The Prime Minister began his third term by warning National MPs and ministers that he did not want to see any hint of arrogance creeping into their behaviour.

A carve-up of the housing portfolio in the new Cabinet has alerted the country to a radical reform the Government has in mind for state housing.