The House

Legislation, issues and insights from Parliament.

Hosted by Phil Smith & Louis Collins

Podcast Title 'The House' set in a bold font on an outside wall, with a image of the parliament house seen through a window

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Are our politicians 'free to lead'

To mark the launch of the Ministry for Women's Free to Lead campaign, MPs discussed online harm and the safety of public figures in a panel this week at Parliament.
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Parliament versus Executive: Regs Review and the Regulatory Standards Bill

A parliamentary committee tasked with keeping a check on the Executive has heard how the Regulatory Standards Board would duplicate its role, but without its powers.
Sir Geoffrey Palmer gives evidence to Parliament's Regulations Review Committee.

MPs check in with Parliament's boss

Albeit a month late, Speaker Gerry Brownlee sat down this week with the Governance and Administration Committee for a chat about Parliament.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee, Parliamentary Service CE Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, and Clerk David Wilson joined the Governance and Administration Committee for the Estimates hearing of the two Parliamentary agencies.

New sitting block, new bills

Parliament kicked off a three week sitting block today, and the first legislative business was initial debates and votes on three brand new bills.
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"We are watching, we are rising, we will not be silenced": Youth Parliament 2025

Last week, MPs were replaced by their younger counterparts during Youth Parliament 2025, and just like real Parliament, there was plenty of drama.
Participants during the 2025 Youth Parliament

Making law: A final avalanche of edits

Before laws are finalised, MPs get a last chance to argue for changes. Pav Sharma—whose office manages them—explains the purpose, rules, and process for the many amendments.
Pavan Sharma, the Manager of the House Office at New Zealand's Parliament.

House on Sunday: Debating war, mourning death

Parliament spent most of the week debating legislation under urgency, finalising eight separate government bills, initiating four others. Despite that effort, the week's most telling events may have been its bookends – the international tragedy that opening it, the very local tragedy at its close.
Labour MP Peeni Henare and National MP Chris Penk hongi after obituaries for MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

MPs pay tribute to Takutai Tarsh Kemp

It was a sad day at Parliament on Thursday, with the news of the sudden death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Before adjourning, The House paid tribute to her in a number of speeches.
Wreaths on the House seat of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

Bills under urgency

Parliament's focus this week is debating numerous bills under urgency. Across recent parliaments the use of urgency and extra sittings has become so regular as to be almost normal. But it remains important to know what laws are being debated and agreed – at whatever speed.
This Act binds the Crown - the first thing in part one of the Consumers' Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill

Situation in the Middle East: Parliament reacts

The first item of business at Parliament this week was not Question Time, but a Ministerial Statement on the Middle East situation.
Winston Peters speaking in the debate on a ministerial statement regarding the Israel/USA/Iran conflict.

The House on Sunday: Xu-Nan on scrutiny, and bear pit tactics

On the Sunday Edition of the House you can hear an interview with Lawrence Xu-Nan about Scrutiny Week and the preparation necessary. You can also listen to a description of a few of the Q&A tactics observed in the scrutiny hearings.
Louise Upston and Tama Potaka during a scrutiny hearing

Tactics from the scrutiny bear pit

Scrutiny week is partly information-sharing and partly a partisan bear-pit. When Parliament undertakes governance of governments there are always tactics and politics involved.
David Seymour during a scrutiny week hearing

Peters holds court at foreign affairs scrutiny hearing

Foreign Affairs is a portfolio that Winston Peters often receives bi-partisan congratulations on. In an otherwise adversarial scrutiny week, his hearing with the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee had a bastion of amicability and trust.
Winston Peters during scrutiny week

Lawrence Xu-Nan: Prepping for scrutiny week

This week at Parliament is Estimates Scrutiny week, when Ministers face Select Committees to defend their budget plans. We talk with Green MP, Lawrence Xu-Nan, a star scrutiny performer from last time round. As a former academic and one of a number of MPs with a PhD, Xu-Nan has the brutal research experience that is surely useful for digging into something as labyrinthine and esoteric as a budget.
Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan listens to evidence in Select Committee.

The House: Morning Tea with Matt Doocey

For electorate M Ps, weekends are generally spent in the community meeting constituents. The House popped into a morning tea Q&A hosted by Matt Doocey.
Matt Doocey hosts meeting with seniors in Rangiora

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