Phil Smith

1 week ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Smith

This week at Parliament is Estimates Scrutiny Week, when government ministers face select committees to defend their budget plans. For an insight into the preparation necessary to properly hold a government to account on their budget estimates, The House chatted with a star performer from last year's scrutiny weeks. Lawrence Xu-Nan is one of a number of MPs in this Parliament who have doctoral-level qualifications.

3 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Smith

While Parliament's week was dominated by its final event - Thursday's debate on the report from the Privileges Committee into a haka performed in the chamber - the rest of the week focussed on other business that, while more mundane, was still worthy of note. The Government appeared to have three objectives for this week in the house. Crucial to the administration's continuance, the first goal was to successfully complete the initial debate on the budget.

3 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Smith

For many decades New Zealand's Parliament was described as akin to a boozy gentlemen's club that happened to pass laws. That is also how its history reads. There are many stories. My favourite is that of early MP Edward Jerningham Wakefield, who was locked in an upstairs room in an attempt to keep him sober enough to vote with his captors, as he had agreed. The opposing camp - plotting against him (since he held the deciding vote) - lowered whisky into his confines via the chimney.

1 month ago | radionz.co.nz | Phil Smith

Parliament's post-Budget urgency did not go as the government might have hoped. Opposition MPs debated contentious bills, bringing the House to a virtual standstill and forcing the government to abandon one bill entirely and jettison debates in order to make progress. After Thursday's Budget announcements and the opening stanza of the eight-hour long Budget Debate, the House followed tradition, pausing that debate to take urgency. The government's plan was to move 12 bills through 30 stages.

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Smith

Parliament's post-Budget urgency did not go as the government might have hoped. Opposition MPs debated contentious bills, bringing the House to a virtual standstill and forcing the government to abandon one bill entirely and jettison debates in order to make progress. After Thursday's Budget announcements and the opening stanza of the eight-hour long Budget Debate, the House followed tradition, pausing that debate to take urgency. The government's plan was to move 12 bills through 30 stages.