KEY POINTS:
Labour leader Phil Goff vowed to hold the new government to account for its pre-election promises when Parliament began the debate in reply to the Speech from the Throne today.
With the dignified opening ceremonies over, MPs were quickly up to speed with jeering interjections and rowdy rhetoric.
Mr Goff, delivering his first major speech since taking over the Labour leadership from Helen Clark, listed National's commitments.
They included closing the wage gap with Australia, reducing serious crime, cutting waiting times for elective surgery, building 20 new operating theatres, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing investment in infrastructure and ensuring a police to population ratio of one to 500.
"Those were the expectations raised by the National Party," he said.
"We on this side of the House will be holding them to account to deliver."
Mr Goff was drowned out by noisy interjections when he said Labour had honoured its promises and left the economy well-placed to survive the international crisis.
He went on to list the previous government's achievements, among them creating Kiwibank, saving Air New Zealand, lowering business tax, signing the free trade agreement with China and increasing infrastructure spending by 190 per cent.
Mr Goff criticised the taxation legislation the Government intends passing before Christmas, saying the chief executive of Telecom would get a $500 a week tax cut while poor families would be worse off.
Prime Minister John Key said his government was ready to get down to business.
"Distractions and sideshows are over," he said, and told MPs the Government had to deal with real issues like the economy.
"This isn't a time to slash and burn," he said.
"We know we can take New Zealand out of this - and the only hope is economic growth."
Mr Key said the Government was going to get rid of waste in the system, get on top of the huge growth in bureaucracy, and help businesses by cutting red tape and compliance costs.
He said power prices went up 83 per cent under Labour and National was going to tackle the energy sector and the infrastructure deficit.
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said his MPs were going to behave respectfully in the new Parliament but they would still tell the truth.
"If that means upsetting some of those in the old grey parties, so be it."
Dr Norman said future generations of New Zealanders would curse the Government if it stood by, as the last government did, while rivers, lakes and beaches were polluted.
"The Resource Management Act is so weak that it provides little protection and yet this government bleats the mantra of industrial agriculture that we must weaken the RMA and cut out community participation in decision-making," he said.
Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples, the new Minister of Maori Affairs, said his party was pleased to be "taking a turn in the driving seat" through its support agreement with National.
He said his focus would be on advancing Maori economic development in areas such as aquaculture, energy, forestry, tourism Maori land and agribusiness.
The debate, which is scheduled to last 19 hours, was adjourned so the Government could introduce bills it wants to pass before Christmas.
- NZPA
