The Labour Party conference in Christchurch this weekend looks set to approve a remit that will require its list to "fairly represent" gays and lesbians among candidates.

Children's Commissioner Dr Russell Wills has decided to publish his own annual stocktake of child poverty after the Govt spurned his call to publish official measures and targets.

Researchers hunting for the next blockbuster heart drug say levels of enzyme activity checked in their study can help to predict a person's risk of coronary heart disease.

New Zealand is among the top 10 best places to be a woman, according to a worldwide report on gender equality.

A solo mother has had her benefit halved, just eight weeks after having a new baby, because she failed to attend an appointment with Work and Income.

Almost 13,000 parents with dependent children have had their benefits cut for failing work tests in the first 2 years after sole parents first had to look for work.

Jump in arrivals will put further pressure on Auckland and Christchurch housing stocks, says economist.

Chamber of Commerce is offering youngsters a road to a job through pilot pre-employment course.

Editorial: A review of burial laws by the Law Commission has led to drastic and largely unnecessary recommendations.

A trust that sold off a 100-year lease of Auckland's historic Ranfurly veterans' home has called in an outside expert to review the quality of care the veterans are now receiving.

A New Zealand church has been let off the hook for forbidding a gay man from becoming a priest.

Cartoonists moaned when Rowling became Prime Minister in 1974, being unable to caricature him.

Excited Barnardos workers have volunteered to fly in from around the country to staff collection stalls at Beyonce's Auckland concerts this week.

Ex-soldiers could soon get support for psychological issues as well as physical injuries under wide-ranging changes to war pensions.

New Zealand rightly prides itself on being a leader in women's rights. It was ranked sixth out of 135 countries in the Global Gender Gap report for 2011.

The four most physically descriptive English words are sick, dead, drunk and fat.

A third of people are unemployed, fear losing their job or are in temporary work.

Children's Lego house competition puts focus on Habitat homes for needy families.

Reduced growth figures suggest revision of Auckland's infrastructure plans needed, claims Statistics Minister.

New Zealand ranks seventh among 91 countries for its quality of life and wellbeing for older people, says the first Global AgeWatch Index.

Latest figures from the Ministry of Justice record another drop in the number of young people sentenced for crimes in the year to June.

Having put their collective feet up on the desk as they contemplate retirement, baby boomers have been overtaken by Gen Xer as the most productive generation.

The Privacy Commissioner has been consulted on the possibility of using identification numbers attached to preschoolers as a way to track and punish parents.

Gaming trusts would be forced to return more pokie machine profits to sports teams and community groups under proposed gambling reforms.

In the light of the latest step by churchgoers in Auckland to further align their money with their values, all investors are being challenged to think.

Disgraced former employers' boss Alasdair Thompson has switched sides and is speaking up for raising the minimum wage to $18.40 an hour.

Wellington's Anglican bishop says he may cut his own salary to help fund a "living wage" for cleaners, caregivers and other low-paid workers.

Why can't an independent body fairly decide what a job should be paid? Or at least set a base living wage which people can actually live on, asks Brian Rudman.