Louise Upston

The Prime Minister has outlined nine measureable goals or so called Better Public Service Targets. Among them; An aim to get 95% of people elective treamtments within four months. Getting 95% of… Audio

The axe is falling on hundreds of jobs in the public sector, with the latest losses looming at Oranga Tamariki and The Ministry of Health. Ministries have been ordered to find between 6.5 and 7.5% in… Audio

The PM’s State of the Nation speech got the media’s attention when he said welfare needs reform. He didn't mention record-level immigration but that’s also been deemed unsustainable and set for a… Video, Audio

Child advocates have criticised the government saying it doesn't have any specific strategy to fight child poverty.

They say changes to benefit indexing and tax cut policies won't help families that… Audio

The government's directive to ramp up welfare sanctions to stop what it calls the surge in benefit dependency under Labour, is being slammed by parties on the left.

The coalition has told officials… Audio

The government is being accused of ignoring evidence, as it orders the increased use of benefit sanctions.

It has directed the Ministry of Social Development to ramp up the use of penalties on… Audio

MSD has officially been instructed to "actively" use all levers available to encourage people off the benefit and into work and that includes sanctions. In a letter outlining her expectations Minister… Video, Audio

Cruel, dehumanising and out of touch. That's one description of National's policy to get more beneficiaries into work. But party leader Christopher Luxon's reckons it's a policy driven by love. If in… Video, Audio

Louise Upston’s been working on a victims rights member’s bill for more than a decade. After a long gestation and a troubled passage this week it suddenly raced to the finish line. Audio

Parliament had a fast-slow-fast week of debating. Phil Smith looks at why the rhythm changes like an oral salsa dance. Audio

We look at the first outing of the conversion therapy ban bill, and whether MPs could need therapy for first reading  confusion. Audio

Louisa Wall and Louise Upston discuss how MPs choose, devise, draft, and champion their own member's bills.  Audio

Nearly 3000 requests for emergency housing were rejected by the government in 2020 - a figure the opposition National Party says represents a genuine crisis.

Social Development Minister Carmel… Audio

Most government ministers do four or more different jobs, so Phil Smith asks Chris Hipkins for advice on juggling, sprinting and wearing multiple hats. Audio