Maurice Williamson lobbied a colleague to give citizenship "as fast as possible" to a businessman - then conducted the ceremony himself the day after it was granted.

National MP Maurice Williamson crossed the line in making a phone call to police over the case of a wealthy businessman, Prime Minister John Key says. Mr Williamson told a senior police officer that the businessman, Donghua Liu, who was facing domestic assault charges, was "investing a lot of money in New Zealand" and urged police to be on "solid ground", according to internal police emails.

Maurice Williamson says he was not asking for special treatment for a rich Chinese businessman and he will contest his position as MP at this year's election.

National MP Maurice Williamson crossed the line in making a phone call to police over the case of a wealthy businessman, Prime Minister John Key says.

Maurice Williamson has resigned as a minister after Herald revelations he contacted a top police officer after a businessman was arrested for domestic assault.

Maurice Williamson's resignation as a minister was forced by "a significant error of judgment" in the words of Prime Minister John Key, writes Audrey Young.

Maurice Williamson's interference in the police case involving businessman Donghua Liu is a sackable offence, writes Herald political editor Audrey Young.

It's a wonderfully Kiwi thing that National Party honcho Sir Wira Gardiner financially supported Shane Jones' bid to become Labour leader.

NZ's ambassador to China asked Judith Collins to tell him anything he needed to know about a Beijing dinner with an unnamed senior Chinese official.

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig says he does not intend to ask National to gift him an electorate.

National Party powerbrokers Peter Goodfellow and long-term partner Desley Simpson have married in an intimate service at a resthome.

Justice Minister Judith Collins has recovered her memory after telling Parliament she could not recall whether she had briefed New Zealand's ambassador to Beijing about her Oravida dinner.

Judith Collins was under pressure on two fronts yesterday, facing further questions over both the Oravida conflict-of-interest saga and widespread fresh privacy issues in her ACC portfolio.

Winston Peters has got to the crux of the matter of whether Judith Collins is guilty of such a grave conflict of interest she would have to be sacked, writes John Armstrong.

Don Brash's autobiography reveals he is a man of principle who doesn't appear to know what side his toast is buttered on, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Don Brash has likened the proposed Government-backed Auckland central rail link to the worst of National's white-elephant Think Big energy projects of the early 1980s.

Don Brash devotes all of three paragraphs to the Exclusive Brethren in his 330-page autobiography despite his dealings with the Church.

Former Reserve Bank governor Don Brash considered taking his own life "to end the pain" following the failure of his two marriages.

Timid and hypersensitive to opinion polls - that is Don Brash's scathing verdict on the performance of the Government led by the man who replaced him as National's leader.

Dirty Dog sunglasses, that infamous punch-up with Trevor Mallard outside the debating chamber...what will we do without Parliament's bad boy?

Tau Henare had the 'X-factor' and will be missed by Parliament, writes NZ Herald political editor Audrey Young.

National MP Tau Henare says his decision to retire from politics was influenced by a low list placing for the general election.

Prime Minister John Key has disputed a suggestion that the issue of absentee foreigners buying houses in New Zealand has always been a bottom line for Winston Peters'.

Internet Party founder Kim Dotcom will address the Mana Party annual conference in Rotorua next weekend.