Parliament to pay tribute to Constable Matthew Hunt

Parliament will pay tribute to Constable Matthew Hunt this afternoon. Photo / Dom Thomas, RNZ

Parliament will honour the death of murdered Constable Matthew Hunt today with the leader of each party making a speech.

National's speaking slot will be taken by its justice spokesman Mark Mitchell, who knows the Hunt family and is a former policeman.

National leader Todd Muller said he'd made the "unusual decision" because there was "no better voice" to honour Hunt and his family.

Muller also gave his personal condolences to Hunt's family and said his family stood in solidarity with them.

"What happened on Friday was a tragedy for their family, for their community and for their country.

"There has been a lot of pain and suffering expressed across all of New Zealand at the loss of a young policeman doing his duty with all his life in front of him."

The 28-year-old Waitematā police officer was killed, and another officer was shot in the leg, amid a hail of bullets fired after a car they had tried to pull over crashed on Friday, in the Auckland suburb of Massey.

The injured officer remains in a stable condition in hospital, along with a member of the public who was injured by a vehicle.

Constable Matthew Hunt was killed during a routine stop on Friday. Photo / Supplied

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously called Hunt's death devastating and said to lose a police officer "was to lose someone working for all of us".

And Police Minister Stuart Nash said he was "heartbroken" for Hunt's family and colleagues.

"We want all our police officers to get home safely at the end of every working day. This is a tragic day for our police family."

The speeches will happen at 2pm when the House sits.

Ardern confirmed yesterday that Hunt's family who arrived from overseas and were taken to Rotorua for mandatory quarantine will have to complete the 14-day period before they can get out.

"The condolences of all of us will be cold comfort," the Prime Minister said.

"It's a double-whammy of losing a loved one and being caught up in restrictions that are there to keep people safe," she added.

Ardern said there is "an expectation that people will complete a period of quarantine and that remains in place".