The Minister for Education dropped a few bombs on teachers, parents and our children recently. The first one is a funding proposal

COMMENT: Funding for schools should be focused on what matters most: education.

Heath Ledger was a good looking and talented actor, father and son who seemingly had it all. Yet he died, as too many do, far too

Kelly_Makiha_FEB16.eps Election season is a funny old time and brings out the best and worst in us. The best - because suddenly

teururoaflavell.eps Tena ano tatou katoa. It's a fine balancing act being the local MP for Waiariki, co-leader of the Maori Party

I WAS surprised to see Tamati Coffey (Opinion August 27) suggest the Government wasn't taking homelessness seriously or didn't have

For almost 30 years, Rotorua people have had to fight to be on a level playing field with other popular tourist spots, but that is

WELL, that was a wake up call - quite literally. While plenty reported sleeping right through it, plenty more in Rotorua were rudely

Over the next few days, thousands of intermediate aged students will start descending on the Western Bay of Plenty for this year's

Kelly_Makiha_FEB16.eps There are some stories you write as a reporter that you'll never forget. This year will be my 20th working

Housing. It's been a topic that continues to plague the government in this their eighth year of sitting in the power seats. It's their

When the subject of gangs in our community comes up it's easy to dismiss it as something that doesn't affect us. We hear of violence

There's very little that can't be done online these days - from banking to dating to the weekly grocery shop. So perhaps we shouldn't

Up until a day or so ago I had no idea who Markus Zusak was. If he had sat down next to me and started yarning I would have thought

What are the annual events in your life? I am not just talking about your birthday, Christmas Day or New Year's Day because everyone

THE THREE "Te Arawa endorsed" candidates for the upcoming Rotorua Lakes Council election have been publicly revealed. And the story

New Zealand First's Mahesh Bindra had his private member's bill drawn from the ballot last week. Simply asking for a Land Register

COMMENT: The deeper I delve into the issue, however, the more I am struck by just how frightening the consequences of prohibition are.

I think one of the lowest things a person could do is steal from a charity. Under normal circumstances, I'd say nobody would dare

How flattering of Hillary Clinton to borrow fashion tips from Helen Clark while they both audition for top jobs. It was Prime Minister

Celebrating is something that transcends cultures, demographics and history. No matter when you were born, in what country and even

Online publication of more decisions from our courts has come at a good time, given a perplexing sentence in Auckland this week. The

IT'S amazing what has happened to Rotorua house values in the past year. Though many experts predicted provincial centres such as

Harry Potter mania has once again swept across the globe. Billed as the eighth instalment in the series, Harry Potter and the Cursed

No one likes a sick kid. You feel sorry for them, but you don't want one next to you if they are not your own offspring. I learned

Olympics The greatest sporting show on Earth will burst into life in Rio next weekend, with New Zealand predicted to enjoy its most

Turning 18 is a big deal in New Zealand. Once you're 18, you can drink, vote, smoke, buy scratchies, place bets at the TAB or use

They've been the best of times, surely, free of war and famine, well fed and medicated, never needing to bother about things that

No matter the circumstances, the loss of a young life is always a tragedy. Shargin Stephens, who died on Tuesday nearly two weeks

Correct me if I'm wrong but picking the school your children will attend is a relatively important decision for parents. That's why