Wellington, May 5 NZPA - The Government remains committed to interest-free student loans but needs to take significant steps to reduce the spiralling costs and use of the scheme, Tertiary Education Minister Stephen Joyce says.

Wellington, May 3 NZPA - Australia's planned corporate tax rate of 28 percent will have to be at least matched by New Zealand, otherwise investment will flow to Australia, Business New Zealand says.

Wellington, April 29 NZPA - Primary teachers are urging the Government not to cut funding for early childhood education, after ministers signalled there would be changes in next month's budget.

Wellington, April 23 NZPA - The entry of company 2degrees into the mobile telecommunications market last year appeared to take a bigger toll on Vodafone than rival incumbent Telecom.

Wellington, April 22 NZPA - New Zealand needs regular national environmental reporting if it wants to keep selling itself as clean and green, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.

Wellington, April 21 NZPA - Career diplomat Rosemary Banks is to be New Zealand's next Ambassador to France. Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Ms Banks would also be accredited as New Zealand's Ambassador to Portugal, and to the OECD, which is based in Paris.

Wellington, March 24 NZPA - An OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) review team will visit New Zealand this year to assess its education system, including national standards which have been introduced in primary and intermediate schools.

by Vaughan Elder for NZPA Wellington, March 17 NZPA - Contact Energy says electricity prices will need to be raised by 4 to 5 percent a year to cover the costs of building new power plants.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, March 9 NZPA - Tertiary education providers will lose some funding if their students suffer high failure and drop out rates and students who fail won't keep getting student loans, new Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says.

Wellington, March 9 NZPA - Women students are demanding government action after a new survey showed men with the same tertiary qualifications start earning more after just one year.