Wellington, May 30 NZPA - A "farebox recovery" policy devised by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) aiming to make public transport more self-sustainable and efficient will hit commuters in the pocket, the Green Party says.

Wellington, May 28 NZPA - Andy Haden's "darky" remarks about the Crusaders team are offensive and wrong, Prime Minister John Key says. Haden's role as ambassador for the 2011 World Cup is now in doubt after comments he made on television.

Wellington, May 28 NZPA - The Green Party's sport spokesman Kevin Hague says Andy Haden has been dismissive of non-white players in the past and has called for Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully to sack him from his role as an ambassador for the 2011 World Cup.

By Paloma Migone of NZPA Wellington, May 27 NZPA - With the message 'Trade Me, not trade trees,' 15 activists today challenged auction website Trade Me to stop the sale of illegally-logged kwila on its site.

Wellington, May 27 NZPA - Finance Minister Bill English defended Australian-owned banks today as he continued to field questions in Parliament about the Government's stance on the future ownership of Kiwibank.

Wellington, May 16 NZPA - The ACT Party's claims about rising costs in the agriculture sector from 2013 under the emissions trading scheme (ETS) are misleading, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith said today.

Wellington, May 26 NZPA - For sole parent Kerry Tankard balancing part-time work, child-care, and her own education was so stressful, it made her sick.

By Chris Ormond of NZPA Wellington, May 26 NZPA - A mining company has given more ammunition to those opposing mineral prospecting on protected land by signalling its own reservations about digging up pristine areas.

Wellington, May 26 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key says he wasn't surprised to learn Kiwibank chief executive Sam Knowles had announced his resignation. "He told me some time ago he was thinking of standing down," Mr Key told reporters.

Wellington, May 25 NZPA - The Government has defended its spending on state housing, saying last year's budget contained a one-off capital injection and there was no cut this year.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, May 26 NZPA - The number of people suffering ill effects from the flu vaccine has spiked to over 300 but that is because more people are getting it, MPs were told today.

By Kate Chapman of NZPA Wellington, May 26 NZPA - It would be cheaper to leave someone on the benefit if they've already been on it for 10 years than to push them into work, politicians were told today.

Wellington, May 25 NZPA - The Government has defended its spending on state housing, saying last year's budget contained a one-off capital injection and there was no cut this year.

Wellington, May 23 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key was today still dampening down concerns that his Government would sell off Kiwibank.

Wellington, May 24 NZPA - New Zealand and Australia can win an International Court of Justice (IJC) case against Japan over its whaling practices, a legal specialist says.

Wellington, May 25 NZPA - Thousands of submissions on the Government's mining proposals were fed into a makeshift letterbox outside the Ministry of Economic Development in Wellington today in a public show of opposition before submissions close tomorrow.

Wellington, May 25 NZPA - The Green Party and non-government organisations will today make a point of personally delivering thousands of submissions against the Government's proposal to allow for mining on schedule four conservation land.

Wellington, May 24 NZPA - The Ministry of Defence wants to sell up to 35 of the army's 105 light armoured vehicles, it was reported tonight.

Auckland, May 24 NZPA - The final legislation covering the reform of Auckland's local governance has received a mixed reaction from the city's mayors and business organisations.

Wellington, May 23 NZPA - The majority of New Zealanders do not trust mining companies to restore conservation land after mining is complete and do not believe royalties paid to the Government are adequate, a new poll shows.

Wellington, May 21 NZPA - New loopholes will be exposed in the Government's plan to generate more tax income by clamping down on people's ability to arrange their affairs to avoid paying tax, the Green Party says.

By Kate Chapman of NZPA Wellington, May 20 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff says people on an average income will be $30 a week worse off under the budget's tax changes, a direct contradiction of the Government's figures.

Wellington, May 19 NZPA - Legislation which will allow driver licences to be suspended when people haven't made arrangements to pay overdue traffic fines passed its first reading in Parliament today.

Wellington, May 18 NZPA - Tax avoidance will be targeted in Thursday's budget, Prime Minister John Key says.

Wellington, May 18 NZPA - A three-year, $750 million commitment by the Government to strengthen KiwiRail is not enough in comparison to the huge amount already committed to roading, says Labour's transport spokesman Darren Hughes.

Wellington, May 17 NZPA - A progressive power pricing system whereby a portion of all households' power bills has a set low price is among measures laid out in the Green Party's $4.46 billion a year alternative budget.

Wellington, May 15 NZPA - A reluctance by Maori rugby officials to apologise over past treatment of Maori rugby players has prompted Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples to raise the prospect of setting up a separate sporting administration.

Wellington, May 14 NZPA - About 800 greenhouse gas-emitting firms are in line for taxpayer subsidies under the emissions trading scheme (ETS) and those taxpayers have a right to know how much they will be paying in subsidies, Opposition MPs say.

Wellington, May 14 NZPA - Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples has welcomed an apology from the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) over past treatment of Maori rugby players, but has criticised the union's Maori appointees for advising against it.

Corrects when Otago decided to cap enrolments in second para Wellington, May 13 NZPA - Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has defended suggestions that government short-sightedness is to blame for moves by two universities to restrict or stop further enrolments this year.