Focus on Politics

Time now for Focus on Politics.

The Government announced this week that people who want their doctor to prescribe medicinal cannabis will no longer need to get ministerial approval, but they still will have to get sign-off from the Health Ministry.

But questions remain over whether the change will actually speed up access to the drug.

Here's our Deputy Political Editor, Chris Bramwell.

Donald Trump's sudden and sweeping ban on refugees and people from seven Muslim nations entering the United States has had far reaching consequences. The US President's executive order, referred to by critics as the Muslim ban, threw governments around the world into a spin as they struggled to get up to speed on what it meant for their citizens and tried to come to grips with the new Republican president.

A war of words erupted and insults were traded earlier this week as political party leaders made their annual speeches at Ratana. The celebrations mark the official birthday of the church's prophet, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, who was born 144 years ago - but the event also serves as the unofficial start to the political year. Our political reporter Mei Heron has been at Ratana.

The Parliamentary year has drawn to a close, with the House rising on Wednesday night and most MPs packing up for the Christmas break. But some National Party MPs and Ministers will spend next week moving offices after the new Prime Minister, Bill English, announces his cabinet reshuffle on Sunday. With our Deputy Political Editor, Chris Bramwell.

It's been an extraordinary week in politics, with John Key dropping a bombshell announcing his resignation, and Bill English now preparing to take over as Prime Minister after a swift leadership contest. The week's events have also exposed tensions and resentments among the National Party backbenchers, which had not been expressed under the tight discipline of the John Key regime. Here's our political editor, Jane Patterson.

Political deals to help out a certain candidate or party in an electorate seat have been frowned upon in the past, but the practice will become much more widespread in the 2017 election. National has done deals to help its support partners back into Parliament, but critics of those arrangements, Labour and the Greens, are now signalling their intention to do the same. Here's our political editor, Jane Patterson.

Housing, crime and transport are the three most talked about problems in Mt Roskill and are high on the agenda for the candidates vying to be the electorate's first new MP in decades. Phil Goff was first elected MP for the then seat of Roskill in 1981 but lost it in 1990 before being re-elected in 1993. Mr Goff has held the seat ever since but has finally left for good to be Auckland's new mayor. Our Political reporter Mei Heron has been in the Auckland seat looking ahead to next Saturday's by-election.

A massive 7.8 earthquake centred at the top of the South Island has sparked a major government response this week. The damage wrought in Kaikoura and the wider region and in Wellington is estimated to cost billions to repair, including significant repairs to parts of State Highway One north of Kaikoura.

Donald Trump's victory in the United States Presidential elections sent shock waves throughout the halls of Parliament this week. It caught many New Zealand Politicians off guard, and left them scrambling to work out how it would impact on the country's relationship with America. And whether that kind of protest or rust-belt vote could happen here. With political reporter, Demelza Leslie.

The Government's controversial Saudi sheep deal was back in the public spotlight this week after the Auditor General released her long-awaited report into the matter. While Lyn Provost cleared the Foreign Minister Murray McCully and officials of acting corruptly, her report raised serious questions about the deal.