Stories by Benedict Collins

The seven-year prison sentence handed to a man who pinched a prison guard's bottom is being slammed as barbaric, grotesque and unjust.

The government could not find a buyer for 300 Invercargill state homes, now the proposed sale of 249 in Horowhenua has fallen through.

GeoNet's call for extra funding so it can be staffed around the clock was an 'unreasonable criticism', according to the acting Civil Defence Minister.

Crayfish and pāua fisheries have been closed around Kaikōura until more is known about the impact of the earthquakes on stocks. Audio

The number of foreigners on temporary work or student visas buying homes won't be known until at least next May.

The cameras were installed to stop illegal fish dumping, but they failed up to 80 percent of the time.

Opponents of the government's overhaul of resource management law say New Zealanders are about to lose their right to have a say on environmental issues.

The government is soldiering on with its TPP legislation, with the third reading of the bill being held in Parliament last night, despite the strong likelihood the trade deal is already dead.

Prisoners were being forced to take part in fight clubs by the notorious Killer Beez street gang at Mt Eden prison as early as 2009, and were bashed if they refused.

The government insists there is no housing crisis in New Zealand despite a surprise announcement yesterday of a $300 million injection for emergency housing.

Power Play - The official findings on Murray McCully's Saudi sheep deal, in a nutshell? It wasn't illegal, but it was disturbing, writes Benedict Collins.

Housing NZ has admitted it cannot say how many tenants it removed and blacklisted from state homes because of methamphetamine last year, after initially saying it evicted only five.

Families are being torn apart by Housing New Zealand's deliberate misuse of methamphetamine testing, a former Māori Party co-leader says. Audio

Senior government officials repeatedly warned Housing New Zealand the meth testing guidelines it was using to evict its tenants were only meant for houses where the drug had been manufactured.

A New Zealand urban search and rescue expert is being sent to help train a Syrian civil defence organisation.

Police Minister Judith Collins is oversimplifying the causes of child poverty by saying it's down to bad parenting, an Auckland marae chairman says. Audio

Parents of migrants to New Zealand are being stopped from moving here because they're a multi-million dollar burden on taxpayers, the Immigration Minister says. Audio

Nearly 1000 budgeting advisors will begin finding out today if they have a job next month, after initially being told they would know by August.

The National Party says Labour is over-egging the significance of its success at the weekend's local government elections.

Labour is backing the Children's Commissioner's child poverty reduction target, despite the Prime Minister saying exact numbers would be too difficult.

New loan restrictions officially come into effect tomorrow, meaning property investors now need a 40 percent deposit to buy property.

The government is being criticised for paying tens of thousands of dollars to former National MPs and a financial donor to produce its 'loopy rules' report.

Labour and the Greens have been labelled hypocrites as they look to collaborate a Mt Roskill by-election, which will be triggered should Phil Goff be elected Auckland's mayor.

The Green Party won't be standing a candidate in the likely Mt Roskill by-election in Auckland.