Wellington, March 18 NZPA - The public will inevitably notice deteriorating public services because of the Government's job cuts, the Labour Party says.

Wellington, March 17 NZPA - Children who were forced to leave Christchurch's Aorangi School when it was closed last year have inadequate facilities for bilingual education at Burnside Primary, Labour MP Lianne Dalziel says.

Wellington, March 17 NZPA - Associate Health Minister Jonathan Coleman walked out of Parliament's debating chamber tonight rather than apologise for calling a Labour MP a liar.

Wellington, March 16 NZPA - The Government did not deny in Parliament today that it plans to give the mining industry a $4 million subsidy to survey three national parks.

Wellington, March 16 NZPA - Labour has defended the lack of means-testing on SuperGold privileges saying it makes it easier to administer.

Wellington, March 15 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand needs to fix problems itself and merging with Australia is no answer.

Wellington, March 13 NZPA - Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni has accused Auckland City Council officials of preventing MPs from her party from being allowed to speak on the main stage at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland today.

Wellington, March 12 NZPA - The Government has moved quickly to appease pensioners concerned their SuperGold card privileges may be eroded because of the scheme's escalating costs.

Wellington, March 12 NZPA - The success of the SuperGold card scheme's transport discount should not be a reason to downgrade it, says senior citizens lobby group Grey Power.

Wellington, March 12 NZPA - A review of transport discounts for the elderly using the SuperGold card is shaping up to be an excuse to make cuts, Labour's transport spokesman Darren Hughes said yesterday.

Wellington, March 11 NZPA - The Government says it will re-hash existing budgets to provide up to $21 million over five years to set up four centres for food and beverage development at Manukau, Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Lincoln.

Wellington, March 11 NZPA - Property investors have warned that rents could go up by $34 a week if the Government scraps landlords' depreciation claims on housing, but the Government says they are wrong.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, March 11 NZPA - Free off-peak travel for elderly people under the SuperGold card is set to exceed its annual $18 million budget and the Government is looking at ways of reining it in, which may impact on services.

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.

Wellington, March 10 NZPA - Labour has called on the Government to regulate mobile termination rates to keep call costs down. The rates are charged by one mobile operator to connect with another network.

By Chris Ormond of NZPA Wellington, March 10 NZPA - Funding cuts within the Education Ministry will negatively impact on education quality as a result of less research and less teacher and curriculum development, says Labour's education spokesman Trevor Mallard.

Wellington, March 10 NZPA - The Labour Party has launched a petition against allowing commercial whaling to restart.

Wellington, March 10 NZPA - A scheme aiming to improve Housing New Zealand's role in assisting the public into housing is being implemented in parts of the country today following a trial.

Wellington, March 10 NZPA - Political parties scrummaged to sign Anton Oliver up to their ranks but the former All Black prefers to remain on the sidelines for now.

Wellington, March 9 NZPA - The Labour Party is accusing the Government of letting Australia down over whaling but Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand could still back a challenge to Japan at the International Court of Justice.

Wellington, March 8 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key is holding open the option of joining Australia in a legal challenge to Japan if diplomatic attempts to reduce the number of whales that are being killed end in failure.

Wellington, March 8 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand has more government agencies than a country its size needs and has signalled there could be several mergers to reduce their number.

Wellington, March 8 NZPA - Some public service mergers were likely to go ahead with resulting job losses, Prime Minister John Key said today.

Wellington, March 5 NZPA - Labour has defended the $30,000 cost to the taxpayer of its "Axe the Tax" bus trip around the country -- protesting GST increases.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, March 4 NZPA - Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are pleased with a report calling for them to get more direct funding and work under clearer accountability.

Wellington, March 2 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff has again called for the Government to recall the Special Air Service (SAS) from Afghanistan, a day after Government revealed details about what is believed to be the soldiers' first gun battle in Kabul.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, March 2 NZPA - Legislation bringing in changes to personal grievance cases could be before Parliament by the middle of the year, Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson says.

Wellington, March 1 NZPA - A Labour MP is taking the unusual step of asking people to join a protest against a select committee he sits on.

Wellington, March 1 NZPA - Cabinet will today start discussing mining on conservation land but decisions might not be taken right away, Prime Minister John Key says.

Wellington, Feb 28 NZPA - The rules around MPs' expenses are "treacherously complicated" says ACT leader Rodney Hide.