When Rodney Hide complained last year that the Government "wasn't doing anything" the point he was trying to make was that it hadn't set a course for the sort of economic reform it had talked about before the election.

Wellington, March 15 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand needs to fix problems itself and merging with Australia is no answer.

Wellington, March 13 NZPA - Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni has accused Auckland City Council officials of preventing MPs from her party from being allowed to speak on the main stage at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland today.

Wellington, March 12 NZPA - The Government has moved quickly to appease pensioners concerned their SuperGold card privileges may be eroded because of the scheme's escalating costs.

Wellington, March 12 NZPA - The success of the SuperGold card scheme's transport discount should not be a reason to downgrade it, says senior citizens lobby group Grey Power.

Wellington, March 12 NZPA - A review of transport discounts for the elderly using the SuperGold card is shaping up to be an excuse to make cuts, Labour's transport spokesman Darren Hughes said yesterday.

Wellington, March 11 NZPA - The Government says it will re-hash existing budgets to provide up to $21 million over five years to set up four centres for food and beverage development at Manukau, Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Lincoln.

Wellington, March 11 NZPA - Property investors have warned that rents could go up by $34 a week if the Government scraps landlords' depreciation claims on housing, but the Government says they are wrong.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, March 11 NZPA - Free off-peak travel for elderly people under the SuperGold card is set to exceed its annual $18 million budget and the Government is looking at ways of reining it in, which may impact on services.

Wellington, March 11 NZPA - Allowing rich people to retire to New Zealand will create costs on the health system, Labour's immigration spokesman Pete Hodgson said today. The Government has announced two new retirement visas -- temporary retirement and parent retirement.