The House

The House

Legislation, issues and insights from Parliament.

Episodes

May 2, 2026 14 mins

In a historic first, Parliament used a new rule to debate slavery legislation that has wide support in the House, but that government coalition partners don’t agree on. Plus other stories from a week of unlikely allies and surprising foes.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

MPs have questioned the Broadcasting Standards Authority’s role in the digital era during a select committee briefing, as the regulator signals a need for reform.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

A proposed new law would allow more prisoner segregation, but also mandate basic rights. MPs agree prison should ‘reflect our shared view of humanity’, even for those who ‘deserve the least sympathy’.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Parliament began this week with a question time in which the Government was being pressed by...another member of Government?

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

With distracting party politics going on outside the House, MPs were brought back on task by the Speaker on more than one occasion this week.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Parliament's weekly free debate can give a surprising insight into the mood and politics of both MPs and parties.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

While political attention was fixed on what was said in Tuesday morning’s National Party caucus, MPs still had parliamentary work to do. And this week, that was mostly the Annual Review Debate.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

This week’s political intrigue bled into Question Time and illustrated Parliament’s rules about ministerial responsibility and lying or, as Parliament terms it, 'misleading the House'.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Step into the past to picture the early days of Wellington's Parliament and the 1890s Victorian neighbourhood it sat in, with help from historian Elizabeth Cox, author of Mr Ward’s Map: Victorian Wellington Street by Street.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

What if a group of randomly selected people were put in a room and asked to hammer out national policy? it sounds a bit like a social experiment, but at last month's democracy forum at Parliament, it was sincerely proposed.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The House saw a dichotomy of tempos this week, from a heated debate about fisheries one day, to a lighthearted, and at times even funny debate on parody and satire law.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 2, 2026 4 mins

This week, MPs debated a bill to protect parody and satire, the right to take the mickey under New Zealand’s copyright law, something they themselves may well be the target of.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

An Auckland housing plan law passed quickly under urgency, but its committee stage was full of interesting asides.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 31, 2026 5 mins

It’s a busy week at Parliament, with the House getting urgent on Auckland, and debating alcohol, animals, banter, and badges.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

With politicians' attention very much looking outward amidst talks of a potential escalation in the conflict, or even a fuel crisis reminiscent of the 1970s, Parliament still nonetheless had things to address back home.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Amendments to immigration law would further punish migrant exploitation and also widen the ability to deport migrants for various offences.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

A bill moving through Parliament is set to end greyhound racing in New Zealand. This week’s second reading offered a case study in careful, and at times awkward, political messaging.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Parliament’s first debate this week was over New Zealand signing a statement offering “readiness to contribute" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

With an election looming in November, The House sat down with Clerk David Wilson to get a roadmap of what’s to be expected between now and then.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

This week at Parliament we heard a debate all about the future that ended up being mired in the past. We also heard a goodbye speech from one of Parliament's more talented orators.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

    Nancy Grace dives deep into the day’s most shocking crimes and asks the tough questions in her new daily podcast – Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor and used her TV show to find missing people, fugitives on the run and unseen clues. Now, she will use the power of her huge social media following and the immediacy of the internet to deliver daily bombshells! Theme Music: Audio Network

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices