Colin Craig is New Zealand's answer to Ali G, writes Toby Manhire. "Colin Craig" is a fictional character, a circus clown, a satirical device.

Courts can make mistakes. The High Court at Auckland has surely made an egregious one in a case we have reported today.

It has all the hallmarks of an acrimonious divorce battle.

Celebrants already have marriage bookings for gay couples who were confident it would become legal.

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage has become law tonight after months of emotional debate.

The sponsor of a bill to make gay marriage legal thanked her "darling" partner before a historic vote on the last step towards marriage equality.

Dame Susan Devoy admits it will "take time to understand a Maori viewpoint" - and promises her actions as Race Relations Commissioner will speak louder than her words.

The Government says there are 29,000 fewer Kiwis receiving benefits since the last quarter - including hundreds who had theirs cut after being caught claiming them unfairly.

A subsidy that has helped to insulate about one in every six low-income homes looks likely to be cut back in next month's Budget to a more targeted scheme.

The Government has been urged to introduce facial-recognition technology for poker machines to restrict problem gamblers as part of an overhaul of gambling laws.

New Zealand's infant mortality rate has fallen to 4.2 in the latest Statistics NZ figures for 2012.

New welfare reforms will address the "major" issue of beneficiaries being unable to pass drug tests to get a job, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.

With four children, solo father Jamie le Bas has the odds stacked against him.

The number of beneficiaries who have had their income cut after failing to meet work-testing requirements has doubled under National and is set to rise further.

Buskers, beggars, bucket-shakers - and a saintly young man called John simply wanting to tell his fellow Aucklanders they are "perfect" - Queen St has them all.

I am constantly surprised that modern women are still under the misapprehension that they're going to find their identity in marriage, writes Deborah Hill Cone.

Editorial: Any curb on freedom of speech is a serious step that should never be taken without good reason.

Police have denied there is a problem with underage prostitution, writes Dave Crampton. Perhaps this is because nobody has laid a complaint with the police?

Geo-politically, socially, environmentally, economically, financially and spiritually, the world and state of human affairs is in a state of unparalleled flux and change.

Bloody flight attendants; they have no sympathy for those with time management problems.

Asians are dominating in visitor and international student numbers and in most family-migration categories to New Zealand.

"As a nation do we drink too much?" asks Roger Hall. "Many societies can enjoy themselves without alcohol being involved."

The bars on Ponsonby Rd are pumping when I turn up at the Auckland office of the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective, behind an unassuming frosted-glass window at the western end of Karangahape Rd.

How can a second-term government - often distracted by its own blunders - continue to poll around the record levels it was elected on, asks Bryce Edwards.

At yesterday's Palm Sunday service Pa Petera Tipene was causing a few of his female parishioners to run for the back ranks.