In his first Question Time as Prime Minister this afternoon, Christopher Luxon said his new Government has not committed to a referendum on the Treaty principles bill.
Asked about the Treaty principles legislation, Luxon appeared to suggest National would not allow the Act’s Treaty Principles legislation to proceed beyond select committee.
He said a bill would be supported to select committee, as said in the coalition agreement, but “that’s as far as it will go”.
Luxon appeared to be speaking about Act’s Treaty principles bill. He may also have been speaking about a NZ First Treaty principles bill, although National has promised to pass this through all stages.
Te Pati Maori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer yelled across the House to Shane Jones to join the party, after he attacked her co-leader Rawiri Waitit’s headgear, worn yesterday, describing it as looking like a “muttonbird”.
“Come and join us if you’re so obsessed with us!” Ngarewa-Packer said.
At the outset of Question Time, Labour opted for a pop quiz tactic with the new National Government - with some success.
Opposition leader Chris Hipkins nearly had his first question gazumped by a surprise debate on the new Government calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, which Hipkins thought would happen later.
Hipkins raised this in the House, expressing his concern that the Government had decided to move a debate on the ceasefire today, trumping his question on the same subject.
He fought back, however, asking Luxon whether he could tell the difference between things like a ceasefire and a humanitarian pause. Luxon, apparently not knowing the difference, did not address the question.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters bailed Luxon out, coming to the rescue with a supplementary question whether the Government had put its name to a recent United Nations statement on Gaza. Luxon answered in the affirmative.
Minister of Finance Nicola Willis was asked by first term National MP Catherine Wedd what reports she had seen on the state of the economy.
Former finance minister, Grant Robertson was regularly asked the exact same question, which gave him an opportunity to expound on the good economic data he received.
“That’s not very original!” Robertson said, when Wedd asked Willis the question.
“It’s going to be a whole lot better though,” Willis said - referring to the economy.
Prime minister Christopher Luxon during Question Time in Parliament, Wellington. 07 December, 2023. New Zealand Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins during Question Time in Parliament, Wellington. 07 December, 2023. New Zealand Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell
Willis launched into a long list of things wrong with the economy, like the large fiscal deficit.
Robertson, not taking things lying down, asked Willis whether she could tell the House the level of debt stipulated in the pre-election forecasts from Treasury.
Willis was stumped - and appeared not to have brought a copy of the forecasts with her to the House.
Kieran McAnulty wound Labour up by raising a point of order, noting that parties should not use supplementary questions to talk about how good they are.
National MPs threw themselves back into their chairs in indignation - the whole point of the question was to wind Labour up for how much they had used the same tactic in the last Parliament.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters also warned that the Scott Base redevelopment in Antarctica has undergone “serious cost escalations”.
Peters said that “we have been advised that more additional funding will be required to complete the project”.
Shortly after 4pm today, a woman was also seen in handcuffs outside the Parliament Press Gallery offices. She was accompanied by two police officers.
Parliamentary staff were unable to divulge what had occurred. The woman was apparently arguing with staff at Parliament.
Police later confirmed a person was arrested on Parliament Grounds at around 4.30pm today, when they refused to leave the area after being served a trespass notice. Charges are being considered.
The Destiny Church leader and his wife Hannah held the demonstration in Wellington, calling on the government to stand with Israel following the October 7 attack by Palestinian terror group Hamas.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters called on all parties involved in the conflict - including countries with influence in the region - to “take urgent steps towards establishing a ceasefire”.
In the House today, the Green Party and Labour Party challenged the Government over a motion calling for steps towards a ceasefire in the war. MPs debated the motion ahead of Question Time.
The first Question Time of the new Government will begin after debating has finished. It was due to start with a question to Luxon from Labour leader Chris Hipkins on one of the Prime Minister’s previous comments about calling for a ceasefire.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins lead MPs into the debating chamber during the State Opening of Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
While he was caretaker PM, Hipkins last month called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The caretaker Government had previously talked with National about calling for a ceasefire. National did not agree to that so Hipkins decided to go it alone and call for a ceasefire as Labour leader, rather than Prime Minister of the caretaker Government.
Party leaders Marama Davidson (Green Party) and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Te Pāti Māori) also have questions for Luxon today, but it wasn’t clear whether they would attempt to debate the conflict.
Green MP Golriz Ghahraman was set to ask Peters whether he would “join the United Nations Secretary-General, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the majority of New Zealanders according to a recent poll to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza”.
