Annual National Party northern convention takes place

Prime Minister John Key. Photo / Paul Taylor

The annual National Party northern convention is taking place in Auckland this weekend.

The party's 23 northern region electorates and regional interest groups will get together for the two-day conference at Waipuna Hotel in Mt Wellington.

It will conclude with a speech by Prime Minister John Key.

Yesterday protesters outside the same hotel kept Mr Key from making his first speech since the zero budget was announced on Thursday.

He was due to give his speech to Tamaki party faithful at 7am yesterday, but only made his way to the venue at 8.30am.

Then yesterday afternoon a strong police presence held back protesters at the Langham Hotel in Auckland where Mr Key was giving his post-Budget speech to a business audience.