Rnz: The House

Parliament’s Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, is considering a major rewrite of the rules for Question Time, potentially the first major reworking since the 1980s. Specifically the Speaker indicated he may ask the Standing Orders Committee (which proposes changes to Parliament’s own rules), to consider balancing the playing field by allowing questioners to contextualise their questions. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week on The House, we chat with a visiting MP from the European Parliament, and hear some of the highlights from Parliament's newest MP, David Wilson Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Parliament hosted MPs from the EU Parliament in Brussels. We chat with Ireland's Seán Kelly who lead the visiting delegation. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament this week is all-House, with extra debates and an interesting array of topics including space, espionage, and stalking. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The sitting week this week began with a Ministerial Statement from Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The House looks at the subsequent Q and A that followed. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

To mark the launch of the Ministry for Women's Free to Lead campaign, MPs discussed online harm and the safety of public figures in a panel this week at Parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A parliamentary committee tasked with keeping a check on the Executive has heard how the Regulatory Standards Board would duplicate its role, but without its powers.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Albeit a month late, Speaker Gerry Brownlee sat down this week with the Governance and Administration Committee for a chat about Parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament kicked off a three week sitting block today, and the first legislative business was initial debates and votes on three brand new bills. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Last week, MPs were replaced by their younger counterparts during Youth Parliament 2025, and just like real Parliament, there was plenty of drama. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Before laws are finalised, MPs get a last chance to argue for changes. Pav Sharma—whose office manages them—explains the purpose, rules, and process for the many amendments. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament spent most of the week debating legislation under urgency, finalising eight separate government bills, initiating four others. Despite that effort, the week's most telling events may have been its bookends – the international tragedy that opening it, the very local tragedy at its close.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It was a sad day at Parliament on Thursday, with the news of the sudden death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Before adjourning, The House paid tribute to her in a number of speeches. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament's focus this week is debating numerous bills under urgency. Across recent parliaments the use of urgency and extra sittings has become so regular as to be almost normal. But it remains important to know what laws are being debated and agreed – at whatever speed.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The first item of business at Parliament this week was not Question Time, but a Ministerial Statement on the Middle East situation.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On the Sunday Edition of the House you can hear an interview with Lawrence Xu-Nan about Scrutiny Week and the preparation necessary. You can also listen to a description of a few of the Q&A tactics observed in the scrutiny hearings. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Scrutiny week is partly information-sharing and partly a partisan bear-pit. When Parliament undertakes governance of governments there are always tactics and politics involved. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Foreign Affairs is a portfolio that Winston Peters often receives bi-partisan congratulations on. In an otherwise adversarial scrutiny week, his hearing with the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee had a bastion of amicability and trust.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week at Parliament is Estimates Scrutiny week, when Ministers face Select Committees to defend their budget plans. We talk with Green MP, Lawrence Xu-Nan, a star scrutiny performer from last time round. As a former academic and one of a number of MPs with a PhD, Xu-Nan has the brutal research experience that is surely useful for digging into something as labyrinthine and esoteric as a budget.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

For electorate M Ps, weekends are generally spent in the community meeting constituents. The House popped into a morning tea Q&A hosted by Matt Doocey. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details