Consumer NZ is slamming funeral insurance as predatory and overpriced, after an 85 year old woman paid nearly $19 thousand for a policy worth $10 thousand.

It says customers are losing money on the products and a change to the law is overdue.

Eva Corlett reports.

The Prime Minister's plan to announce a roughly $100 million recovery package for Southland, in the wake of the likely closure of the Tiwai Smelter, was scuppered by New Zealand First at the eleventh hour.

RNZ understands, as a result, there won't be any specific amount of money allocated to the southernmost region before the election, because consensus can't be reached within the coalition. Tensions have been building as the election approaches with New Zealand First lining up to fight for its survival.

RNZ understands there was back and forth between ministers about a roughly $100m package, focussed on job creation to help transition the province's economy.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters denies that.

Political reporter Jo Moir spoke to Peters on his way to Question Time yesterday.

It's just under two months until the election and the political scandals just keep coming.

Lockdown misdeeds, leaks of private patient information, and unsolicited pornography have cut careers short.

Yesterday it was Labour's Iain Lees-Galloway, sacked after admitting to having an affair with a staff member and announcing he would not be standing for parliament again in September.

The Prime Minister says he has lacked the judgement expected of a minister.

Voters in his Palmerston North electorate had a mixed reaction to yesterday's events.

Jane Patterson is RNZ's Political Editor.

The government has been accused of taking the foot off the pedal getting electric vehicles on the country's roads.

An industry leaders group set up to advise the government and convince people to buy the vehicles has quietly been disbanded.

Hamish Cardwell has the story.

A new quota system for airlines is being worked on to ensure that New Zealand has enough isolation rooms available at any one time to match the number of people flying back into the country.

The head of managed isolation and quarantine Air Commodore Darryn Webb says we have almost reached maximum capacity - that is just under 6935 for a two-week period.

Minister in charge Megan Woods says the Ministry of Transport is working with airlines to institute rolling two-week quotas.

Corin Dann speaks to Air Commodore Webb.

ACT leader David Seymour says Winston Peters' claim he was involved in leaking his superannuation details is baseless.

Peters used Parliamentary Privilege to claim former National Party press secretary Rachel Morton told Seymour - who was her partner at the time - about his superannuation overpayment.

He claims Seymour then told the Taxpayers' Union's Jordan Williams - who passed it on to John Bishop - the father of National MP Chris Bishop - and right-wing blogger David Farrar.

Morton says the claims are categorically untrue, while Seymour says Peters is telling sleazy lies.

Chris Bishop dismissed them as a fabrication, Mr Williams described them as pure fantasy, and Farrar as insane.

ACT leader David Seymour speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Shane Jones is questioning why Kiwibank ruled out doing business with companies that deal with the extraction, production and manufacturing of coal.

The New Zealand-owned bank launched a responsible business banking policy this month, and says it will no longer accept clients who, in their opinion, run businesses that do harm.

That includes companies dealing in tobacco, palm oil, casinos, predatory lending, adult entertainment, synthetic drugs and weapons.

Although Kiwibank has now indicated that it will drop the ban on brothels and strip clubs.

Shane Jones is the Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises.

A Te Anau farmer accused of burning down 800 hectares of native forest in two years, has been told by the Environment Court to stop.

Southland District Council says Peter Chartres caused irreversible damage to local flora and fauna when he cleared manuka on his property, despite multiple warnings it wasn't permitted.

Chartres denies he's done anything wrong.

Katie Todd reports.

A Taranaki-made bleach water touted by some as a cancer cure is still for sale.

That's despite the deregistration of a GP for testing Te Kiri Gold on patients, and Medsafe stepping in to ban its makers from using therapeutic claims and testimonials to sell it.

In-depth reporter Susan Strongman has more.

The Government has chosen the fourth weakest out of five options to run the next Census.

It has boosted funding by two-thirds following the fiasco of the 2018 Census, but to a level well below what its own experts wanted.

Māori say it's insulting, and runs the risk of delivering a poor result for them for the third time in a row.

Phil Pennington reports.