We're reminded of the important role of the Regulations Review Committee as Parliament this week holds a special debate about the committee's report on Covid-19 regulations.

Special debate to focus on Covid regulations

Todd Muller

Todd Muller is leaving Parliament. Known for a brief stint as Opposition leader, he also won plaudits for his bipartisanship and advocating for awareness about mental health.

Todd Muller, the human factor

Visitors entering the main entrance to Parliament can finally notice some visual signs of Māori culture and physical recognition of mana whenua.

Te Kāhui Mōuri lights up Parliament's face

This week the Government added a morning sitting of the House to ‘get stuck into’ completing debate on RMA reform. The Opposition just aimed for ‘stuck’.

The House drops into first gear on RMA

As MPs count down to the election Parliament’s mood changes. The Opposition’s House leader Michael Woodhouse predicts “more anger, frivolity, perhaps less discipline”. “Perhaps” seems generous.

Election Energy inside Parliament

Five New Zealand MPs from across the political spectrum are visiting Samoa to build relationships within the country - and among themselves.

Photo essay: cross-party MP group in Samoa

During a briefer than usual urgent sitting in Parliament this week, multiple bills were progressed through multiple stages each in what would normally take a couple of sitting weeks of debate.

Urgency done with urgency

When MPs screw up the consequences can be public and brutal. But sometimes that response has solid reasons which safeguard our system of responsible government.

Parliamentary Privilege: a balance of power and responsibility

Parliament has just six weeks left before it breaks for the election. There is still a lot yet to do, and to slow that down, one or two matters of privilege.

Privileges and more than a sense of urgency

As an MP Sir Geoffrey Palmer had a huge impact on the interlocking shapes of government and parliament. The great reformer is still brimming with ideas for improvement.

Geoffrey Palmer: Strengthen Parliament to watch government

Legislation, issues and insights from Parliament.

Something of a throwback to when most National MPs staunchly represented farming interests, Ian McKelvie is however ending his career as an MP not defined by the tribal lines of party politics.

Ian McKelvie: Parliament's last country squire 

This week, RNZ’s Parliament show, The House, focused on the processes and outcomes of Parliament’s Select Committees. The Sunday show is a collation of this content.

The ways of Parliament’s committees

The Therapeutic Products Bill is one of those pieces of legislation that requires a fair bit of panel-beating in a select committee, and even then not everyone's happy with its shape.

Therapeutic Products Bill in the panel-beater workshop

When things threaten to go awry it can help us learn how they work. So, how do Select Committees decide to amend bills, who helps them; and how do they track amendments and communicate with the legal drafters?

How select committees tweak bills

An Imprest Supply Bill is Parliament’s way of saying to the government 'yes you can have that money, but also if you find you need to use more money on it, you don't need to come back and ask again'.

Parliament's backstop for extra government spending

Parliament has hit the time of year it turns into a combination of Glastonbury and the Inquisition - the multi-pronged miniterial grilling called Estimates Hearings.

Ministerial Grillapalooza: Photos from Parliament’s Estimates Hearings

The ACT Party has this month latched on to a Question Time tactic of using consecutive supplementary questions on a repetitive theme as a pile-on against the government.

ACT’s pile-on Question Time tactic

Legislation tackling a power imbalance in the grocery industry is among several bills that wound their way through the committee stage in Parliament this week.

Bill tackling supermarket duopoly to become law

Among Parliament's key bills this week is one to update emergency management relationships and one to protect your bank deposits because mattresses have better uses. Grant Robertson picks his bills to watch.

Empty the mattress: Parliament’s week

Jan Logie admits she had “zero faith in our political system” before entering Parliament, but remains hopeful of what can be achieved here, as she prepares to retire as MP.

Jan Logie: Balancing frustration with hope

I always, always learn things from this pod. It does a great job of tackling one particular topic and taking a deep, but brief, dive. It’s relevant no matter how much (or how little) you already know about NZ parliament.

Informative every time

The House 

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