Stories by Anneke Smith

The former political figure who sexually abused two teens in the late 1990s will challenge his case in the Court of Appeal next year.

Robyn Dandy plans to use her $150K payment to go on a South Island roadtrip with her pets in honour of the grandson she's lost.

A complaint has been laid after 33 police staff visited China in October, while former spy minister Andrew Little says the trip "ought to be a worry". Audio

"This would have to be, if not the number one, then the number two biggest political clanger of the last 20 or 30 years." Audio

"We're dealing with complex, high-risk youth offenders," Oranga Tamariki deputy chief says after confirming two out of 10 youths absconded from the trial and a third died in a crash.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has stopped short of giving MPs his opinion on how the coalition's gun law changes could impact officer safety.

National and NZ First agreed to a two-year deadline in their coalition deal, but a year on, officer numbers have gone backwards.

Christmas has arrived early at Parliament, with a posse of 20 santas bringing their own southern wish list to the capital.

Deputy Commissioner Heather Baggot says there has been a "rapid shift" in the Commission's operating environment.

The former defence minister says New Zealand will continue to depend on Australia, the UK and the US for military technology, whether it joins AUKUS or not.

The $100m vessel was insured for salvaging operations but not replacement.

The Royal Commission gave the government until last Sunday to publish responses to its 138 recommendations. That has now been and gone. Audio

ACT's leader says his party has an outsized say in government, but the Prime Minister says he "wouldn't describe it that way". Audio

However, his name remains under wraps as he has already indicated he will appeal.

Survivors have told the court of their ongoing nightmares and struggles, as the man makes a sixth request for name suppression after getting a two-and-a-half year sentence.

A man abused by a former political figure says he is blown away by a proposal to end secrecy around sex offenders' identities. Audio

Convicted adult sex offenders would not get permanent name suppression unless the victim agreed to it, the justice minister says.

Staff were locked from being able give water to protesters, and wifi access was blocked too, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said.

"The National Party today are more concerned about their careers than about the history," Chris Finlayson says. Audio

The legislation is up for its first reading after Question Time this afternoon. Audio

A man forced, as a teen, to dig his own grave at gunpoint says any apology without financial compensation is "disingenuous". Audio

Firearms clubs across the country have made an impassioned plea to MPs to vote in favour of reducing regulation for ranges.

Cabinet has signed off on those running the boot camps using force to protect themselves or others, or stop young offenders escaping. Audio

The coalition was told that the programmes "do not increase the probability of participants moving off [the] benefit and into employment". Audio

The coalition was told that the programmes "do not increase the probability of participants moving off [the] benefit and into employment".