Same-sex marriage campaigners say the overwhelming support for the bill is a ringing endorsement which shows MPs are in line with the views of ordinary Kiwis.

Hugs, cheers and kisses were thrown around Parliament last night as MPs moved marriage equality in New Zealand one step closer to reality.

Labour MP and former Associate Immigration Minister Shane Jones' political career has been saved by an Auditor-General's report that found no evidence of improper motive.

Nine months in the political wilderness awaiting Lyn Provost's painstaking report may well have done the trick, writes John Armstrong.

Former Labour high flyer Shane Jones is back on the front bench after being cleared of corruption over his citizenship decision for Bill Liu in 2008.

It didn't take long for David Carter to settle in to his job in his first question time as Speaker - it was almost business as usual, writes Audrey Young.

A leading human rights lawyer yesterday hit out at a decision banning a West Papua independence activist from speaking at Parliament.

"Is NZ's relationship with Indonesia so lacking that it could not tolerate a West Papuan independence activist speaking at a lunch-hour meeting?" asks John Armstrong.

Carter takes over as Speaker of the House despite Labour move to install Mallard

The new ministers promoted in the National-led Government's cabinet reshuffle were sworn in by the Governor-General this morning.

Labour's housing spokeswoman Annette King says National was promising to deliver three and four-bedroom homes for less than $485,000 at Hobsonville despite claiming Labour could not deliver the same sized homes for less on cheaper land.

The Prime Minister has defined National as a pro-foreign investment, pro-roads, pro-infrastructure, pro-PPP, and pro-Sky City Convention Centre kind of party.

Prime Minister John Key and Labour leader David Shearer have started the parliamentary year by trading blows.

Nikki Kaye and Nick Smith are the big winners in John Key's Cabinet reshuffle, but Phil Heatley and Kate Wilkinson have both been dumped.

Former ACC Minister Nick Smith is all but assured of a return to the Cabinet this week in a ministerial reshuffle to be announced today by Prime Minister John Key.

To disguise what it is doing, the Beehive has ordered the Ministry for the Environment to abandon the five-yearly State of the Environment round-up report, writes Neville Peat.

Eugenie Sage, Christchurch-based Green Party list MP, talks to political editor Audrey Young.

Unless he's softening him up as a potential coalition partner, writes Brian Rudman. "But better fun surely just to sit back and enjoy the sight of another of the New Zealand First leader's hand-picked acolytes going rogue."

Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, who was at the Parliament to watch Question Time, said he was hurt by John Banks denying he knew him after they had a clear friendship.