Wellington, May 7 NZPA - Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws has welcomed the passing of a bill giving his council powers to ban gang patches in some areas. He expects many other councils to seek similar legislation.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, May 6 NZPA - A bill banning wearing gang patches in parts of Wanganui passed tonight with the crucial support of three ACT MPs. The bill passed 62 to 59.

Wellington, May 6 NZPA - The Law Society has trashed the "three strike" sentencing bill, saying if Parliament wants courts to hand out tougher sentences it should broaden preventive detention laws.

Wellington, May 6 NZPA - It is farcical that three sitting MPs are seeking election to Parliament in the Mt Albert by-election, Progressive MP Jim Anderton says.

Wellington, May 5 NZPA - New Zealand Emissions Trade Scheme (ETS) may face further delays as Australia puts off the start date of its related legislation. Prime Minister John Key told reporters it made sense for the New Zealand and Australian schemes to be aligned.

Wellington, May 4 NZPA - Using private advisors is no different from using Treasury staff to give ministers spending advice, Prime Minister John Key says.

Wellington, May 3 NZPA - Labour has named David Shearer as its candidate for the Mt Albert by-election. The by-election to fill the seat left vacant by former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who held it for 27 years, takes place on June 13.

Wellington, May 1 NZPA - Rodney Hide has defined regulations as "instruments of coercive power" and says the country has far too many of them. The ACT leader, who is Minister for Regulatory Reform under an agreement with the Government, is on a mission to cut red tape.

NZPA political reporters Wellington, May 1 NZPA - The Government is being accused of breaching political neutrality, and possibly the State Sector Act, by ordering departments to hire ministerial advisors.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, April 30 NZPA - Private sector contractors employed by ministers but paid for by departments are being labelled "hired guns" by enraged Labour MPs, who say National is circumventing normal hiring practices.

Wellington, April 23 NZPA - Government ally the ACT Party has accused Finance Minister Bill English of paying lip service to the country's economic problems and says his pre-budget comments are embarrassing.

Wellington, April 22 NZPA - The "three-strikes" policy is likely to increase the level of unreported family violence, a survey of ex-offenders and their families has found.

Wellington, April 21 NZPA - Army, navy and air force bases may be sold to the private sector and leased back -- it will be one of the options considered by several reviews into the New Zealand Defence Force.

Wellington, April 16 NZPA - Maori leaders are planning a "showdown" with government ministers over Maori representation on the new Auckland super city.

Wellington, April 12 NZPA - The Greens deal with National means Labour will be seen as the key opposition party, its leader Phil Goff says. However Mr Goff was careful not to overtly criticise the Greens for their decision. Labour and the Greens have worked together in the past.

Wellington, April 7 NZPA - ACT's highly publicised "three-strikes" policy would not have saved the 77 lives they claimed, new figures show.

Wellington, April 5 NZPA - National is continuing to ride a post-election wave of support, according to the latest poll. The TV One News Colmar Brunton poll tonight put National on 57 percent support (up 1 point) compared to Labour on 31 percent support (up 3 points).

Wellington, April 5 NZPA - Local Government Minister and ACT leader Rodney Hide is hoping he will be able to convince his Cabinet colleagues to look at ways of putting a brake on local government expenditure increases.

Wellington, April 2 NZPA - Former prime minister Helen Clark's parliamentary colleagues yesterday put aside politics to recognise her achievement in being appointed to the United Nations' third highest post -- bar one.

Wellington, March 31 NZPA - The ACT Party is calling for an immediate review of bail laws, although Justice Minister Simon Power says violent offenders like Haiden Davis would have probably been denied it under changes introduced late last year.

Wellington, March 31 NZPA - The Government is being urged by the ACT Party to immediately review bail laws following yesterday's sentencing of Haiden Davis for the murder of Augustine Borrell.

Wellington, March 29 NZPA - Legislation is being drafted to allow courts to order boy racer cars to be crushed, Police Minister Judith Collins says.

Wellington, March 23 NZPA - The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance will be released tomorrow, Local Government Minister Rodney Hide said today.

Wellington, March 25 NZPA - The ACT Party found itself in a bind in Parliament tonight because it was supporting a bill which it previously said was useless, stupid, ineffective and unworkable. ACT voted against the first reading of Wanganui District Council's bill to ban gang patches.

Wellington, March 20 NZPA - ACT MP David Garrett says criticism his proposed tougher sentencing regime would breach international human rights obligations is laughable because other countries treat their citizens badly.

Wellington, March 20 NZPA - Foreign Affairs officials have joined the Attorney-General in warning that a tougher sentencing regime proposed by the Government could go against United Nations human rights obligations.

Wellington, March 19 NZPA - The Green Party is questioning the reliability of a poll which showed most people want a change to the law that bans smacking. The survey, released yesterday, was followed today by an ACT Party MP announcing he had drafted a member's bill to amend the law.

Wellington, March 18 NZPA - The Government's review of overseas investment rules has been welcomed by the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) which says not much has been coming in over recent years.

Wellington, March 18 NZPA - The Government says a review of the overseas investment regime is intended to make the process quicker and less complex but the Greens says that translates to easier sales to foreign investors.

Wellington, March 17 NZPA - The recession could put pressure on independent schools who rely on fee-paying students and must compete with "a taxpayer-funded free service", ACT's associate education minister Heather Roy says.