Benedict Collins
Whistleblowers 'very happy' with State Services finding
Political reporter Benedict Collins spoke to the Transport Ministry whistleblowers who were forced out of their jobs by Joanne Harrison in 2015.. They say the State Service Commission has treated them… Audio
Fraudster forced whistleblowers out of Transport Ministry
RNZ political reporter Benedict Collins says an inquiry has concluded that convicted fraudster Joanne Harrison made sure whistle-blowers at the Ministry of Transport lost their jobs. Audio
Transport Ministry playing "ducks and drakes" with OIA requests
Emails obtained by RNZ News show the Transport Ministry's knew information about convicted fraudster Joanne Harrison's time at the Ministry existed, but was going to refuse to release it to Labour MP… Audio
Opposition backs changes to child support payment system
Under a new government proposal, child support payments will be automatically deducted from the wages or salaries of liable parents by Inland Revenue. Audio
Greens and NZ First hold their annual conferences
Mei Heron and Benedict Collins report from the Greens and NZ First AGMS both being held in Auckland this weekend. Audio
Todd Barclay earning $165,000 but may not return to Parliament
National MP Todd Barclay hasn't returned to Parliament after announcing he would stand down at the election. His departure followed the Prime Minister's announcement that the MP told him he had… Video, Audio
Govt still weighing up merits of Special Economic Zones
The Government admits it is still weighing up the introduction of Special Economic Zones, where laws could be by-passed to push through developments like coal mines and salmon farms. Video, Audio
MPs apologise, quash historical convictions for gay sex
"It's unimagineable today that we would criminalise consensual, sexual activity between adults." And with those words, the Government righted a historical wrong and formally apologised to men who… Audio
Disclosure rules lead to sharp fall in foreign trust numbers
Three quarters of New Zealand's foreign trusts have vanished into thin air after new rules were brought in this month, introducing greater transparency. Labour and the Greens are claiming that as… Audio
Whistleblowers aren't protected - new report
The findings of a State Services Commission enquiry into whether convicted fraudster Joanne Harrison was able to restructure staff out of their jobs will be made public sometime this month. And it's… Audio
Govt agencies can't hide behind OIA - Ombudsman
The Chief Ombudsman, Peter Boshier, is warning government agencies they can no longer hide behind the Official Information Act. Audio
Peter Thiel granted citizenship after just 12 days in NZ
The Government says Peter Thiel is a great ambassador for New Zealand, but is less forthcoming on why Kiwis didn't know he was a citizen for so long. Audio
Number of days Thiel in NZ before citizenship out today
The number of days American billionaire Peter Thiel spent in New Zealand before being granted citizenship will be made public today. The controversial entrepreneur visited New Zealand just four times… Audio
Landlords breaking new insulation law
Investigators monitoring the Government's new regulations around rental properties and insulation say landlords are breaking the law by failing to disclose how much insulation is in their rental… Audio
Regions applaud Winston Peters, but Govt says no way
The New Zealand First leader wants the GST paid by tourists to be returned to the region in which they spent the money, and for regions to get 25 percent share of water, oil, and mineral royalties. Video, Audio
NZ First wants regions to get 'fair share' of GST, royalties
A regional focus; tax deductions for small business and an end to the 'mindless extraction of water by bottling companies' - the core issues canvassed by NZ First leader Winston Peters at the party's… Audio
Insulation subsidy a hard sell
The Government's $18 million, two-year Healthy Homes programme for insulating the country's housing appears to be a hard sell. Fewer than 4,000 homes have been insulated under the scheme; it was hoped… Audio
Govt's new home affordability measure flawed
The government's new housing affordability measure makes houses appear to be more affordable than they really are. What's more - the ministry went against advice from the Reserve Bank about which… Audio
New emails show how Kiwirail caved in to Minister's pressure
New emails have been released showing how KiwiRail caved to pressure from the Transport Minister's office to keep a report secret, despite initially insisting the document legally had to be made… Audio
Govt reviewing Fuji Xerox contracts after irregular accounting
An independent report into irregular accounting at Fuji Xerox New Zealand and its Australian partner has uncovered nearly half a billion dollars in losses. Audio
