Stories by Craig McCulloch

An IRD briefing shows 76,712 "potentially" overseas people were paid, along with 85 dead people - and there were nearly 12,000 coding or administrative errors.

First Person - RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch pulls back the curtain on some of the lighter moments behind the scenes and on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

After a two-year Covid-induced hiatus, the United Nations' leaders' summit returned with gusto this week, but against a far darker backdrop than Jacinda Ardern's last time there.

Just days after the Kremlin threatened nuclear warfare, Jacinda Ardern has taken to the United Nations podium to condemn Russia and call for a complete ban on all nuclear weapons. Video

Watch - Jacinda Ardern met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and challenges facing the Pacific.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has delivered a speech on behalf of Prince William at a star-studded New York event focusing on climate change solutions.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has set a grave tone for this year's general assembly, warning of a "winter of global discontent" in a world beset by perils.

Fresh from the Queen's funeral, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has caught a lift with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus while an investigation is carried out into further allegations of bullying raised by RNZ. Audio

The National Party has unanimously elected a new president at its annual conference in Christchurch.

National's deputy Nicola Willis has sought to extinguish any doubt over her tax plan, telling members the party will deliver as much relief as it "responsibly can".

National Party outgoing president Peter Goodfellow has acknowledged mistakes in his final speech, but says he does not regret trying to move the party into the 21st century.

A shellshocked James Shaw has been ejected from the Greens' leadership by a minority of party delegates and has yet to decide whether he will fight to stay on.

Professor Michael Baker is calling for much wider mask mandates, saying the roll-out of free masks, while positive, will make a "fairly small" difference to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The government's gang crackdown has ignited opposition from both sides of the political spectrum but gained a thumbs-up from one of the country's foremost gang experts. Audio

As new visa rules take effect, Minister of Immigration Michael Wood says he will monitor settings for nurses and will remain open to changes.

The Opposition leader says all his MPs are united around the commitment not to change abortion law, as former Justice Minister Amy Adams says restricting the law would be "absolutely soul-destroying".

Incoming Minister of Police Chris Hipkins has admitted the government has a lot of work to do to tackle gang crime but says he "enjoys a challenge".

A spokesperson for the prime minister confirmed Ardern would announce some "minor" changes to the Cabinet line-up at 3pm.

Parliament's Speaker Trevor Mallard has refused to answer questions from MPs about the trespass notices issued earlier this year - reigniting calls for him to go.

New Zealand seems to be on track to becoming full military allies with the United States, a defence analyst says, following the prime minister's White House visit.

More than two million New Zealanders will get a one-off $350 sweetener as part of the Budget's centrepiece $1 billion cost-of-living relief package.

Climate activists say the government's landmark plan to curb emissions is light on detail, full of fluff, and lets the worst polluters off the hook.

Power Play - The prime minister's trip abroad was billed as a "trade mission," but was most productive when it was leader-to-leader behind closed doors.

New Zealand is beefing up its security ties with Japan in the face of "unprecedented challenges" through a plan to share more classified information on international issues.