Wellington, Oct 7 NZPA - A taskforce has been set up to look at early childhood education (ECE) funding, which Labour says will see cuts.

Wellington, Oct 7 NZPA - A meeting in Murupara today to protest against Timberlands' ban on public access to Kaingaroa Forest and its lakes and rivers has ended with two MPs promising to fight for it to be lifted.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA

Wellington, Oct 7 NZPA - Chris Carter held out hopes until last week that he could return to the Labour fold but today finally accepted his future with the party is over.

37th Joint Meeting of the Japan New Zealand Business Council

Tauranga Co-Chairmen Mr Brian Martin and Mr Ryu Yano, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the invitation to be here today at this 37th Joint Meeting of the Japan-New Zealand Business Council.

Wellington, Oct 7 NZPA - Government agencies are going to have to tighten up the way they buy and use information communications technology (ICT), Internal Affairs Minister Nathan Guy says.

It could not be a better time to be gathering together, to share our thoughts around the concept that culture matters.

Yesterday the airwaves were buzzing in response to the Education Review Office's report evaluating information from 60 secondary schools and 227 primary schools.

Four of the country's top academics have received Government support for their work through the prestigious James Cook Research Fellowships, Minister of Research, Science and Technology Wayne Mapp announced today.

The latest official income survey results are another 'kick in the guts' for low-income New Zealanders, says Labour Leader Phil Goff.

By Chris Ormond of NZPA

Wellington, Oct 7 NZPA - The approved sale of a large Otago dairy farm to an overseas investor for $34 million is a classic example of why rural land remains so expensive and out of reach for many New Zealanders, the Green Party says.

Wellington, Oct 7 NZPA - Renegade MP Chris Carter has accepted his future with the Labour Party is over and withdrawn his nomination to stand again in his Te Atatu electorate.