A new report from New Zealand spies, moves to invest in climate change solutions and a plan to ban phones from schools - it's the calm before the storm here at Parliament, with the final recess week of the term.
The 1News parliamentary gallery team discuss it all and wonder whether Spain and the Netherlands listened to the jaunty Inside Parliament theme tune to get themselves rarked up ahead of their semi-final clash today. Who said politics and sport can't mix?
Read on and listen below.
Today the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service released a new report into the threats facing the country's national security.
The first of its kind, the report claims China is targeting Chinese communities, alleges Iran is monitoring and trying to silence protesters against its regime here, and that Russia seeks to undermine support for Ukraine.
The threat assessment also found the pandemic not only fuelled anti-authority sentiment among New Zealanders but said some of those people have gone on to adopt extreme positions on a wide range of other issues.
The Government also announced "action" on the gender pay gap today, saying it had decided on a reporting system for the private sector.
However, the legislation hasn't been drafted and there are three sitting weeks left at Parliament for the (undrafted) legislation to pass. The Government says it most likely will be put in place early in the next term - provided Labour is returned to power, of course.
That's a big "provided".
On Tuesday, the Government announced it would collaborate with American multinational investment company BlackRock to generate a $2 billion "first of its kind" climate infrastructure fund. It's aimed at helping New Zealand become one of the first countries in the world to reach 100% renewable energy.
ACT also released a justice policy this week, which would change the principles in the Sentencing Act, including removing consideration of cultural backgrounds in sentencing.
National has said it would stop state funding of cultural reports for that purpose, but stopped short of saying it would remove provision for judges to consider cultural background altogether.
And the Nats say they'll ban cellphones from schools - but some schools and the Government say schools are already empowered to do this if they wish, and many do.
Chris Hipkins said schools didn't need "Christopher Luxon's permission" to ban them and it would be Government overreach. Is it red tape for children?
And speaking of schools the secondary teachers have accepted their pay offer - they will get a pay rise of about 14%.
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