Laws NZ First’s Waitaki candidate
New Zealand First says it is aiming to put the political spotlight on the South in the coming election and beyond.
mike.houlahan@odt.co.nz
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A plate of roast rat please, with plenty of tomato sauce
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A plate of roast rat please, with plenty of tomato sauce
Copperfields, the cafe inside the Beehive, offers a tasty range of treats for those who work within the parliamentary complex.
Election 2026 interview: Labour's Tangi Utikere
Election 2026 interview: Labour's Tangi Utikere
This week's Election 2026 political interview guest is Labour MP Tangi Utikere, the MP for Palmerston North.
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Helping hand may still be made available for students - Simmonds
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Helping hand may still be made available for students - Simmonds
A review of the funding system for tertiary education is intended to address critical skills shortages, Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds says.
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Sorry, not sorry, or distasteful? Redress brings rancour
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Sorry, not sorry, or distasteful? Redress brings rancour
Back in November 2024, in a sombre debate during which the House demonstrated appropriate unity, MPs assembled for the government’s official apology to those abused while in the care of the State.
Election 2026 interview: ACT's Andrew Hoggard
Election 2026 interview: ACT's Andrew Hoggard
This week's Election 2026 political interview guest is Act New Zealand list MP and Minister for Biosecurity Andrew Hoggard.
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Frantic scrutiny of MBIE
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Frantic scrutiny of MBIE
Parliament has spend this week enjoying/enduring (delete as you see fit) scrutiny week, its twice yearly in-depth examination of government expenditure by select committees.
Hyperbole a dig against mining’s ‘doubting Thomases’
Hyperbole a dig against mining’s ‘doubting Thomases’
Taxes paid by mining companies proposing to operate in Central Otago will play a crucial part in funding services in the South, Minister of Resources Shane Jones says.
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Researching the best way forward for academic inquiry
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Researching the best way forward for academic inquiry
Being a junior Cabinet minister and with an election just a few months away, Invercargill National MP Penny Simmonds is not going to get too many chances to strut her stuff before heading out on...
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Brooking rises in Labour’s list rankings
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Brooking rises in Labour’s list rankings
Labour’s hierarchy has cast a vote in favour of its Dunedin MP Rachel Brooking, giving her a substantial promotion on its party list.
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Patent nonsense in Parliament on a dusty Saturday night
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Patent nonsense in Parliament on a dusty Saturday night
Last weekend Parliament did what it always does on Budget week — sit until all hours of the day and night passing legislation under urgency.
O'Connor talks trade and Waitaki candidacy
O'Connor talks trade and Waitaki candidacy
The ODT has a new weekly on-line feature, Election 2026 - a feature interview with a politician about the issues of the day.
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Look at moi! Look at moi! as climate case issue simmers
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Look at moi! Look at moi! as climate case issue simmers
Not many politicians volunteer to become involved in a looming scandal, but Southland National MP Joseph Mooney was positively champing at the bit this week.
Budget prompts nostalgia not optimism
Budget prompts nostalgia not optimism
If Budget 2026’s Economic and Fiscal Update document came with a soundtrack it would be The Way We Were, by Barbra Streisand.
Budget no frills and no thrills
Budget no frills and no thrills
Finance Minister Nicola Willis promised that Budget 2026 would not be one to get the pulse racing, and boy did she deliver.
Willis negotiating tricky Budget path
Willis negotiating tricky Budget path
Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ third Budget has been drafted during troubled economic times. She talks to ODT political editor Mike Houlahan about the challenges.
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The art of being surprised about something you already know well
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The art of being surprised about something you already know well
As befits an MMP Parliament, the House’s business committee likes to ensure that all speaking slots are allotted on a proportional basis.
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Rediscovering that winning feeling
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Rediscovering that winning feeling
Arsenal are champions again, and that has put a smile on the face of long-serving fan Mike Houlahan.
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Shifting paradigms and protecting precious natural places
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Shifting paradigms and protecting precious natural places
This week the government progressed a range of legislation which will preserve New Zealand’s species and environments for generations to come.
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Pitchforks and torches at the ready, but a phoenix may rise
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Pitchforks and torches at the ready, but a phoenix may rise
This week the government announced that it was going to disestablish the Broadcasting Standards Authority: thanks, in part to Act New Zealand Southland list MP Todd Stephenson, it will not have to...