Wellington, Feb 17 NZPA - Labour and the Greens aren't happy with proposed legislation to replace the repealed Electoral Finance Act.

Wellington, Feb 17 NZPA - Primary teachers are calling on the Government to ignore an "ideologically-driven" report on school choice. Education Minister Anne Tolley is approaching it cautiously and says she will consider it.

Wellington, Feb 16 NZPA - During the 1984 election Labour promised to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the electoral system.

Wellington, Feb 16 NZPA - Removing limits on how much lobby groups can spend supporting their political allies during election campaigns is set to be a political battleground again.

Wellington, Feb 16 NZPA - The Government is considering a modified version of the education voucher scheme for the worst and best performing students.

Wellington, Feb 11 NZPA - ACT MP Roger Douglas is going to ask Parliament to re-introduce youth rates. Sir Roger said today he would put up a member's bill seeking the change.

Wellington, Feb 10 NZPA - Parliament is going to debate a bill that would stop prisoners voting in an election -- even if they were in jail for a day. Under current law prisoners serving sentences of more than three years can't vote, but National MP Paul Quinn wants to change that.

Wellington, Feb 10 NZPA - Cabinet ministers were hoodwinked by a noisy minority to include the North Rodney region in the Auckland super council, the Government was told today.

Wellington, Jan 28 NZPA - Lifting the minimum wage is a defining issue for the Maori Party in government, and yesterday's 25 cents and hour increase falls way short of what the party would be comfortable with, says co-leader Pita Sharples.

Wellington, Jan 20 NZPA - Preventive detention will be retained as a sentencing option for judges under the Government's proposed "three strikes" legislation, Police Minister Judith Collins said today.

Wellington, Jan 19 NZPA - The Government is getting tougher on repeat violent criminals as National and ACT parties have announced an agreement on a three-strike policy today.

Wellington, Dec 20 NZPA - The ACT Party is playing down a report that two of its MPs tried to roll leader Rodney Hide.

Wellington, Dec 16 NZPA - Councils that run polytechnics will be cut to eight, with four appointed by the minister of education and four by the councils themselves, under a bill passed by Parliament today.

Wellington, Dec 15 NZPA - The Maori Party has withdrawn its support for a government bill after its bid to have Maori members on polytechnic councils failed.

Wellington, Dec 13 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff has finally managed to take a small chunk out of National's sky high political popularity, but there is still a large chasm between the two major parties.

Wellington Dec 10 NZPA - North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams has tried to rub salt into the political wounds left on ACT leader Rodney Hide after he used taxpayers' money to take his partner on holiday and work trips.

Wellington, Dec 9 NZPA - The Government has confirmed the new Auckland super city council won't have to hold a referendum about any potential sale of Ports of Auckland, but has put other protections in place.

Wellington, Dec 3 NZPA - A third bill is being drafted to complete the legislative framework for the reform of Auckland's governance, Local Government Minister Rodney Hide said today.

Wellington, Nov 30 NZPA - It will not be possible to catch Australia in the wealth stakes without slashing Government spending by $9 billion, productivity taskforce head Don Brash said today.

Wellington, Nov 30 NZPA - It will not be possible to catch Australia in the wealth stakes without slashing Government spending by $9 billion, productivity taskforce head Don Brash said today.

Wellington, Nov 30 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key says radical changes in a report to be released today are unlikely to be implemented quickly, if at all.

Wellington, Nov 26 NZPA - The partial defence of provocation, which can be used to reduce murder to manslaughter, has been abolished. Parliament passed the repeal bill tonight by 116 votes to five, with only the ACT Party opposing it.

By Peter Wilson of NZPA Wellington, Nov 25 NZPA - The Government's emissions trading scheme was passed into law today after months of controversy and two days of debate under urgency in Parliament.

Wellington, Nov 25 NZPA - The bill that sets up the Government's new emissions trading scheme was passed into law today on a 63-58 vote in Parliament.

Wellington, Nov 25 NZPA - A group calling themselves "Climate Realists" petitioned against the emissions trading scheme (ETS) at Parliament today.

By Peter Wilson of NZPA Wellington, Nov 24 NZPA - Labour and the Greens have fought the first battle in a war they will lose before the week is out against the Government's emissions trading scheme.

Wellington, Nov 23 NZPA - ACT would support a six-month delay of the emissions trading scheme (ETS) so any deal could be scrutinised by a select committee before passing into law.

Wellington, Nov 22 NZPA - Reports the Maori Party and National have concluded a deal over emissions trading scheme (ETS) legislation are exaggerated, says Climate Change Minister Nick Smith.

Wellington, Nov 20 NZPA - The Government is still negotiating with the Maori Party over legislation setting up an emissions trading scheme and hopes to strike a deal by early next week. If it succeeds, Parliament is likely to be put into urgency to pass the bill.

NZPA political reporters Wellington, Nov 16 NZPA - The Government says it is committed to passing crucial climate change legislation despite a deadlocked select committee report and opposition complaints that taxpayers will carry a $100 billion burden.