Mike Houlahan

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Smoothing down feathers and riding out budget blowouts

Health Minister Shane Reti about to tour the new Dunedin hospital site. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON

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Smoothing down feathers and riding out budget blowouts

Health Minister Shane Reti spent his Tuesday ruffling feathers aplenty in Dunedin, and spent the rest of his week trying to smooth them down.

Obituary: big noise, big mouth, big influence on modern music

Steve Albini playing with Shellac in 1996. Photo: Getty Images

Obituary: big noise, big mouth, big influence on modern music

Standing in the foyer of the late, lamented Chicks Hotel in 2015 I had my one and only confrontation with the legendary Steve Albini.

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Southern say: A mission for ‘Rural Nats’

Miles Anderson at Fieldays. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

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Shoring up the vote? Looks like a mission for ‘Rural Nats’

Waitaki National MP Miles Anderson picked up a new job this week ... although quite how different it is to his current job is a moot point.

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A visitor from far, far away finally ventures down to Dunedin

Chris Bishop speaks. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH

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A visitor from far, far away finally ventures down to Dunedin

Finally, after months of waiting, a really senior National party minister came to Dunedin on Wednesday.

Obituary: final years made big difference

Cancer patient Stephen Hoffman advocated for others. Photo: Gregor Richardson

Obituary: final years made big difference

STEPHEN HOFFMAN Health advocate There was absolutely no reason that Stephen Hoffman and I should have met.

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Happy Christmas, war is over. But has another started?

Chris Bishop said the First Home Grant was an "expensive and inefficient way to support first...

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Happy Christmas, war is over. But has another started?

Tuesday was either the day that the war on farmers ended or the day the war on nature started, depending on what side of the House you sit on.

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Negative growth predicted for financial year

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Negative growth predicted for financial year

If you had idly wondered why the government is so hell-bent on passing fast-track consenting legislation, Budget 2024 clearly answers your question.

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Prudent approach taken by Willis

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Prudent approach taken by Willis

As debut Budgets go, this was a pretty responsible effort. Nicola Willis only occasionally waved her magic wand and all the big spending initiatives - not that there were many - were signalled well in advance, and duly delivered.

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Balancing act beckons for Budget

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and her Associate Minister Chris Bishop share a lighthearted...

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Balancing act beckons for Budget

Crafting her debut Budget has been all about striking a balance, Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells Otago Daily Times political editor Mike Houlahan.

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Yelling aplenty, and there is more to come

Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers the Budget Policy Statement. PHOTO: RNZ

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Yelling aplenty, and there is more to come

During World War 2 there was a period called the "phoney war", where the Western Front stood idle for months before the fighting really started.

Conflict of interest allegations ‘defamatory’: Peters

ACT New Zealand leader David Seymour has vehemently denied any wrongdoing by his Southland list MP Todd Stephenson in his role as a parliamentary private secretary.

New MP grateful to be a citizen

Green Party list MP Francisco Hernandez amuses his party colleagues (from left) Tamatha Paul,...

New MP grateful to be a citizen

Dunedin's newest MP began his parliamentary career with impassioned thanks to his adopted country.

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Not dragging the chain: the fast-track process speeds along

Parliament Buildings, from left, Bowen House, the Beehive, and Parliament House. PHOTO: NZ HERALD

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Not dragging the chain: the fast-track process speeds along

They say that a fast game is a good game — but fast-tracking the game is another matter entirely.

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Reading books to escape from the unhappiness of one’s life

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Reading books to escape from the unhappiness of one’s life

As any school pupil or tertiary education student can tell you, there are few things more excruciating than having a teacher or lecturer going through your homework in public and picking holes in it.

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Going round a mulberry bush with hospital funding queries

The new Dunedin hospital. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY

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Going round a mulberry bush with hospital funding queries

Southern Say has highlighted the many attempts by our local MPs to get any indication at all from Health Minister Shane Reti that he'll deliver a National pledge to restore plans for the new Dunedin hospital (mostly) to the way they were.

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Yeah right — Penny Simmonds supports how the boss rolls

Penny Simmonds. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON

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Yeah right — Penny Simmonds supports how the boss rolls

The new government has had its first "Tui moment".

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New Dunedin Green MP’s journey to Parliament

Francisco Hernandez rallies the campus Greens with Scott Willis and party co-leader Marama...

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New Dunedin Green MP’s journey to Parliament

From political exile to future member of Parliament, Francisco Hernandez has been on a quite a journey, Mike Houlahan reports.

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Leaders asking us to take the Aukus 2 model for a test drive

Aukus talks participants (from left) University of Otago Prof Robert Patman, former Tokelau prime...

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Leaders asking us to take the Aukus 2 model for a test drive

Parliament is in recess and the Prime Minister is sunning himself in Asia — which he may be very grateful for given the heat his government is feeling about its long-promised plans to pare back the public service.

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Son fought to stay with his family and farm

(Clockwise from top) The 32nd reinforcements wait outside Dunedin Railway Station as city mayor J...

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Son fought to stay with his family and farm

War has deprived thousands of southern families of loved ones, but not every war story involves a battlefield. Mike Houlahan explores the story of Otago farmer Frederick Hugh Russell.

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Southern Say: Simmonds dispenses with rights Bill

Penny Simmonds speaks at parliament on Wednesday. PHOTO: ODT FILES

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Southern Say: Simmonds dispenses with rights Bill

The James Shaw farewell tour kicked into high gear this week, as Parliament debated - and rejected - his New Zealand Bill of Rights (Right to Sustainable Environment) Amendment Bill at first reading.

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Mike Houlahan