The new State Services Commissioner was once one of the highest paid public servants but is now promising a "conservative approach" to pay rises for chief executives.

Govt says a public message about unusual seismic activity under the North Island was not a cause for alarm.

COMMENT: Three major shakes in South Island in the last six years, have highlighted how the enemy we are most likely to have to front is the one within.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has been accused of vilifying a Geonet scientist who spoke out about the need for a better tsunami warning system in New Zealand.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has defended the Wellington City Council's decision to declare the CBD safe so quickly after Monday's quake.

Questions are being asked about why key government buildings in Wellington have been impacted so badly, as concerns about more buildings emerge.

Replacing the Anzac frigates is likely to be the most challenging capability choice facing future Governments, says Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee.

The Government is being urged to fund an around-the-clock monitoring and warning system for earthquakes and tsunamis in New Zealand.

The change means aftershocks may be larger in magnitude for a longer period of time.

The Clarence River has burst its banks, with residents being told to move to high ground immediately, as aftershocks continue to rock the country.

There are casualties following this morning's quakes, acting Civil Defence minister Gerry Brownlee says.

A French memorial will be added to the War Memorial Park in Wellington after a winning design was chosen from 43 entries.

New Zealand troops have approval to work at three bases but could be sent to other bases says Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee.

A peacekeeping deployment to Sinai has been renewed until 2018 despite earlier concerns about terrorist attacks.

Prime Minister John Key has told an RSA national council meeting that the Government has listened to criticism over its policy not to repatriate the bodies of some soldiers killed overseas.

Up to 100 New Zealand soldiers' bodies could be brought home from overseas, after the Government confirmed it was reviewing its policy on repatriation.

The Government is to buy a $493 million naval tanker which will be custom-made for use in the Antarctic.

Prime Minister John Key has done so many u-turns this week he is in danger of coming to the attention of his boyracer-car-crushing minister Judith Collins.

COMMENT: For those who travelled to Taji with PM, his decision to extend the deployment of 120 troops to train Iraqi forces had a sense of inevitability.

Labour leader Andrew Little says he will withdraw New Zealand troops from Iraq if his party is elected to power next year.

The non-combat deployment in the battle against the Islamic State had been set to finish early next year, but would now last until November 2018.

Prime Minister John Key says he remains confident New Zealand troops based at Taji are as safe as they can be despite a car bomb outside the military compound yesterday.

An explosion has occurred within two to three kilometres of Camp Taji in northern Baghdad where 106 NZ Defence Force personnel are currently deployed.

Explosions rang out as the New Zealand Defence Force's new $46 million battle training facility was opened in Auckland this morning.

If Goff wants to be well-informed, maybe he should ask Brownlee for a briefing too, writes Audrey Young.

Defence bosses have barely scraped a pass mark from their minister Gerry Brownlee because of their poor-quality, slow advice.

The Defence Force chose a rifle made by US manufacturer Lewis Machine and Tools (LMT) out of eight possible contenders.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has launched a high-level review of New Zealand troops' role in the fight against Isis.

New Zealand's top military science secrets are attracting million-dollar investments from allied defence forces.

16 years after her last visit, former spokesperson for the Auckland East Timor Independence Committee Marie Leadbeater finds it a study in contrasts.