Waitangi, Feb 6 NZPA - Maori Party MP Hone Harawira laid out his bottom lines on the foreshore and seabed at Waitangi today, challenging the Government to hand full title to Maori while ensuring full access to all New Zealanders.

Wellington, Feb 5 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key's message is "don't panic" but the Labour Party is pouring criticism on the Government over the highest unemployment rate in a decade.

Wellington, Feb 4 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key says it would be "utterly wrong" for MP Hone Harawira's family to make money by copyrighting the Tino Rangatiratanga flag -- although he doesn't believe that was what they have been trying to do.

Wellington, Feb 4 NZPA - A new housing loan scheme for Maori who want to build on ancestral land has been welcomed by the Maori Party.

Wellington, Feb 3 NZPA - Maori Party MP Hone Harawira's family planned to make money from the Government's decision to allow the tino rangitiritanga flag to be flown on government buildings on Waitangi Day, it was reported tonight.

by Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, Feb 3 NZPA - Maori who want to move back to ancestral land will now be able to get a $200,000 loan from Kiwibank, with no deposit, to build or buy a home.

Wellington, Feb 3 NZPA - National MP John Hayes has joined a list of colleagues going under the knife to lose weight.

By Peter Wilson of NZPA Wellington, Feb 2 NZPA - The Government is mobilising its MPs and writing to 350,000 households in a campaign to explain national standards in schools and take on opponents of the flagship policy.

Wellington, Feb 2 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key criticised teacher unions today saying they were protecting under-performing teachers.

Wellington, Feb 2 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key is trying to fix a problem with the Maori Party over the introduction of national standards in schools, a flagship National Party policy.

Wellington, Feb 1 NZPA - Cabinet hasn't discussed raising tobacco excise and no decisions have been made, Prime Minister John Key says.

Wellington, Feb 1 NZPA - Maori Party co-leader and Associate Education Minister Pita Sharples' concerns that national education standards could harm some schools will be addressed, Prime Minister John Key said today

Wellington, Jan 31 NZPA - Maori Party MP Hone Harawira is blaming the media for the uproar last year over his racially offensive comments, and says he wasn't close to being expelled from caucus because of it.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff was accused of playing the race card during a speech last year, but today NZ First leader Winston Peters dealt the whole deck.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, Jan 28 NZPA - Outgoing Green MP Jeanette Fitzsimons says it's nice that politicians are saying kind things about her, but she would have preferred support for her policies.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Wellington, Jan 28 NZPA - Public service chief executives' salaries should be capped, Labour leader Phil Goff said today in a speech about the need to ensure all New Zealanders benefit from improved economic times, not just the wealthy.

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 27 NZPA - Labour and the Greens are joining forces to ramp up political opposition to the third super city bill. The bill completes the legislative framework for the reform of Auckland's governance.

Wellington, Jan 27 NZPA - Labour and the Greens are joining forces to ramp up political opposition to the third super city bill. The bill completes the legislative framework for the reform of Auckland's governance.

Auckland, Jan 26 NZPA - Labour Party leader Phil Goff is putting the finishing touches on his first major speech of the year to be delivered on Thursday after he and deputy Annette King were re-elected unopposed at the Labour caucus in Auckland today.

Wellington, Jan 26 NZPA - The Government is being urged to do more to prevent obesity after being lobbied to fund more stomach stapling operations.

Wellington, Jan 24 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff says his party's list is based on merit and is created through a set process so he won't be able to grant the four high list position that the Ratana movement wants.

Wellington, Jan 24 NZPA - Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says higher tobacco taxes should be imposed and used to pay for stomach stapling operations. Mrs Turia is recovering from such an operation as part of her efforts to battle diabetes.

Wellington, Jan 24 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff defended last year's "race card" speech today at Ratana Marae near Wanganui, saying he stood by criticisms he made in the speech.

By Paloma Migone of NZPA Wellington, Jan 22 NZPA - The three-day Ratana celebrations began today with a warm reception for Prime Minister John Key and National MPs.

By Paloma Migone of NZPA Wellington, Jan 21 NZPA - MPs make their annual pilgrimage to Ratana Pa tomorrow, joining the three-day celebrations and attending the main political curtainraiser of the year.

Wellington, Jan 20 NZPA - The Maori Party has blasted the proposed "three strikes" legislation, saying it shows the Government is hidebound by political rhetoric on crime and punishment that has no factual basis.

Wellington, Jan 18 NZPA - A survey has found 61 percent of people support raising the minimum wage to $15 but Prime Minister John Key has ruled out that kind of increase this year.

Wellington, Jan 15 NZPA - A new report confirms the disability rate for Maori is greater than for non-Maori, Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia says. It also revealed that Maori uptake of some disability support services lagged behind non-Maori uptake, she said today.

Wellington, Jan 11 NZPA - Maori Party MP Hone Harawira says the sentiment behind his "white mother....ers" remarks remain and the "rape of Maori land" continues.