Wellington, June 5 NZPA - Former Labour cabinet minister and current MP for Dunedin North, Pete Hodgson, is to retire from politics at the next election. The announcement opens the way for a spirited contest for one of New Zealand's safest Labour-held seats.

Wellington, June 2 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key has been cleared over accusations he misled Parliament when questioned about the blind trust that holds his assets.

Wellington, June 2 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key has been cleared over accusations he misled Parliament when questioned about the blind trust that holds his assets.

When politicians throw mud, does some of it stick? Or is it counter-productive and do voters treat it with contempt?

From the evidence of past mud-slinging, it doesn't pay and it usually ends up all over the throwers.

Wellington, May 29 NZPA - Labour MP Pete Hodgson says Prime Minister John Key still has questions to answer about the blind trust that holds his assets.

Wellington, May 28 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key has accused the Labour Party of running a smear campaign against him and says he has legal advice which "utterly refutes" its allegation that he misled Parliament over the blind trust holding his assets.

Wellington, May 28 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key today accused the Labour Party of "muckraking" and released legal advice he said refuted its allegations about his assets.

Wellington, April 21 NZPA - Environment Minister Nick Smith has rejected assertions made in Parliament that he should have stood aside from legislation that was introduced to sack Environment Canterbury because his brother last year pleaded guilty to charges brought by the council.

Wellington, April 21 NZPA - Environment Minister Nick Smith should have stood aside from legislation that was introduced to sack Environment Canterbury because his brother last year pleaded guilty to charges brought by the council, a Labour MP told Parliament today.

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.