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.

NZ First leader Winston Peters turns 70 today but he wants nothing to do with it, thank you very much.

Pity the Electoral Commission, left looking like a humourless wowser by a High Court ruling that the satirical Planet Key song was not in breach of electoral laws.

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.

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.

The $400 million deal for SkyCity to build a national convention centre in Auckland could be under threat.

Some former MPs can already spend up to $22,345 of taxpayers' money every year on international travel for them and their spouses.

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.

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.

A loophole allowing MPs to hold millions of dollars worth of undisclosed real estate investments and other assets without declaring them has now been closed.

The most striking and welcome feature of the Cabinet named yesterday is the spreading of responsibility for the security intelligence agencies.

Politicians could find it harder to hire relatives in taxpayer-funded jobs after changes to the way support staff are recruited.