If Parliament's rules say you aren't even allowed to refer to the existence of a particular court case, then how can the Speaker enforce those rules without letting everyone knows that the court case exists?
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And if you have to carry a gun to keep your fragile seat at number one ...
Greg O'Connor thinks the shootings in Ottawa, and the way this was ended, demonstrates the need to routinely arm New Zealand's Police. He's completely wrong about that.
Read MoreIf it is so wrong, Rodney, fix it yourself
Rodney Hide thinks some MP should bravely do a pointless thing that he himself is not quite courageous enough to try.
Read MoreThere's something going down that wasn't here before
The High Court just cracked open the door to expressly telling Parliament that it has made laws that unacceptably breach human rights. But it also said that it really, really, really doesn't want to walk into that strange room.
Read MoreQuestion time with Simon Bridges
The transcript of Wednesday's question time in the House is not yet available via Hansard. Fortunately, I am able to roughly recreate it below (with some possible inaccuracies, although minor in nature).
Read MoreIs this the "new" Sochi-sanitized Russia?
It's a week since the world was watching Putin's "new Russia" on display at the Winter Olympics. Ukrainians might say the new Russia looks a hell of a lot like that of old, and they'd be right.
Read MoreThe Inquiry into the Inquiry into the Inquiry into the Inquiry
How it all came to pass
Read MoreRemember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors
Who'da thunk proposing that women should get representation equal to their share of the population would be such a controversial notion?
Read MoreHow much is that MP in the window?
Sue Kedgley worries that there is nothing to stop our MPs selling themselves to the highest bidder. There is - so they'll have to do it quietly.
Read MoreA tale of two Speakers
David Carter's decision on Peter Dunne's status was just as wrong (and as right) as Jonathan Hunt's decision on Harry Duynhoven's.
Read MoreStop wasting our time
The National Government isn't going to bother even thinking about the Electoral Commission's recommendations to reform MMP. I wish that they'd told us this was the plan before we spent our time and effort engaging with the issue.
Read MoreTime to get serious about parliament's unserious side?
While school children come to watch MPs goofing around in parliament, the real business of governing takes place outside the debating chamber
Read MoreOn the matter of coming 2nd and yet winning
The latest opinion polls raise the prospect of a scenario that's new to modern New Zealand politics – the party that comes second leading the government. And it's something we need to front early
Read MoreSome praise for Parliament, rare though that may be
The Justice and Electoral Committee has done a good job on the issue of covert video surveillance. Mostly.
Read MoreIgnorantia legis neminem excusat
For the Police to act inconsistently with their own governing legislation once is bad. For them to do it twice is even badder
Read MoreWhat if Hone had crossed his fingers?
The Speaker says Hone Harawira has to say the magic words that make you an MP in the right way, and he only gets one chance to do it each time. Is this taking legal formalism just a bit too seriously?
Read MoreTalking about process and dismissal
Labour has happened across a pretty nifty little parliamentary trick. But it's time to put it away, I think.
Read MoreThe proposed Regulatory Responsibility Bill shouldn't be enacted
Why the Government’s proposed Regulatory Responsibility Bill is ill-founded, constitutionally radical, and likelyto hurt democracy.
Read MoreAnd now the storm-blast came, and he Was tyrannous and strong
"Day after day, day after day, we stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean." Could this be Hone Harawira's parliamentary fate?
Read MoreAn open letter to New Zealand's people and their Parliament
Twenty-seven academic experts in constitutional law have a warning about the legislative response to Canterbury's earthquake.
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