Stories by Russell Palmer

Farm-level emissions pricing must happen without delay, but the He Waka Eke Noa plan needs some critical tweaks to work, the Climate Change Commission says.

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 new Ministry of Disabled People, Whaikaha, will be led by a non-disabled person - for now - after complications with recruitment.

However, more work is needed to understand the cost of rolling out a new approach to disability support, Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams says.

National MP Simon O'Connor has returned to Parliament with an apology to colleagues over a social media post that celebrated the US Supreme Court's overturning of abortion law.

With opponents of the government's three waters reforms saying they're dangerous, wasteful and unpopular, what's their alternative?

Co-governance in three waters is about the Crown meeting treaty obligations, and maintaining relationships between councils and mana whenua, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta says.

After years of negotiation the plan to price agricultural emissions remains unclear, the Green Party says, but its co-leader says the government has a process to go through before it responds.

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.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says upcoming visits to our Pacific neighbours will have a respectful approach, contrasting it with her Chinese counterpart's whistlestop tour.

The government is considering more measures to disrupt gangs after a series of shootings, with Police Minister Poto Williams saying all options are on the table.

Local Government New Zealand admits it failed to effectively explain its strategy over three waters to its members, which strained relationships and led one council to quit.

With local body elections coming in October, the contentious reorganisation of drinking, waste and stormwater can be expected to attract a lot of heat.

Big charities will need to be more transparent over their funding, after a government review recommended changes to the law.

Privately owned rural water supplies should be able to keep managing themselves, rather than handing over to the Three Waters entities, a working group has recommended.

Explainer - The government is forging ahead with revised water system reform despite criticisms. So what's changed? RNZ is here to clear it all up.

Transport Minister Michael Wood has had to contact the Transport Agency a second time over costly road safety props, after a further three were found to have been on back order.

Police Minister Poto Williams has told Aucklanders they should "absolutely" expect a decrease in gun crime after gang attacks in recent days, and arrests have already been made.

There was a lot riding on the year's Budget: Cost-of-living challenges, health, climate, education - so did the spending match sectors' hopes?

There's a lot of spending flying around in Budget 2022 - here are the main expenses in an easy-to-read list.

Scrapping pre-departure tests will come "sooner rather than later", and more advice is being sought on whether people with adverse reactions could be exempt from workforce mandates.

Low-income families who scrap their old car will get funding to buy a low-emitting vehicle in a $569 million scheme, one of the big-ticket items in the government's first Emissions Reductions Plan.

The three waters reforms would achieve balance sheet separation and improve some councils' finances, according to analysis that paves the way for the legislation.

National leader Christopher Luxon has refused to rule in or out ACT's budget proposals if they enter government together, but says Nicola Willis - not David Seymour - would be finance minister.

There's a lot on the cutting block. ACT would reverse various efforts to curb climate change, increase defence spending, freeze the minimum wage, and abolish some government agencies.