Wellington, March 4 NZPA - Scorn has been poured on ACT MP David Garrett's suggestion that bad parents should be offered a $5000 incentive to get sterilised.

Wellington, Dec 4 NZPA - United States ambassador to New Zealand David Huebner is expected to arrive next week.

Wellington, Nov 24 NZPA - A company which promised to turn Whangarei into a world centre for superyacht-building has gone into receivership. New Zealand Yachts would continue to trade, receiver and manager Paul Sills, of Auckland law firm Hornabrook Macdonald, said.

Washington, Nov 5, AFP - The nominee to be the United States ambassador to New Zealand says he hopes for closer ties with the Pacific nation despite a more than two-decade row over nuclear weapons.

Wellington, Nov 5 NZPA - Listed CER Group Ltd has agreed to sell its New Zealand Nature Company Ltd business for $3 million. Interests associated with CER managing director, David Warrick, who has resigned as a director and employee, have made the purchase.

Wellington, Oct 22 NZPA - Lawyers and human rights advocates have spoken out against a government bill giving police and other law enforcement agencies greater search and surveillance powers.

Wellington, Aug 26 NZPA - The inquiry into finance company failures by Parliament's commerce select committee is woolly in its thinking and populist while missing areas of significance.

Wellington, June 25 NZPA - ACT MP David Garrett has apologised for suggesting lewd comments he made to a woman staff member in Parliament would have been acceptable in Tonga.

Wellington, June 8 NZPA - An Auckland law firm that pursued a lawsuit against Westpac Bank has lost an appeal against costs of more than $1 million.

By Ian Llewellyn of NZPA Wellington, May 27 NZPA - Agriculture Minister David Carter has declared interests in eight companies working in the sector, the MPs' Register of Pecuniary Interests showed today.