Parliament resumed its post-election routine in earnest yesterday, opening with an extended debate on the conflict in the Middle East and the first Question Time of the year.
The session began on a solemn note when Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister target="_blank">Winston Peters put forward a motion calling on all parties involved in the conflict - including countries with influence in the region - to “take urgent steps towards establishing a ceasefire”.
The motion was supported by all parties but drew some heated discussion and proposed amendments from the Green Party and Labour that it should recognised the loss of lives, including more than 16,000 in Gaza and about 1200 in Israel, and call for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” rather than “steps towards” one.
Later in question time, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and her predecessor Grant Robertson argued over the state of the economy.
Willis used a tactic beloved by Robertson last term: using a backbencher to ask the finance minister what reports they had seen on the state of the economy.
The question is an excuse for the minister to wax lyrical on how good things are, but Willis used it as an excuse to slam things like the deficit.
Robertson was not amused, saying the question was unoriginal.
He had a trick of his own, taking a pop quiz tactic like Hipkins, asking Willis what the level of net debt was projected to be in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (Prefu) forecasts.
Willis did not come to the chamber armed with Prefu, and could not answer the question, but shot back attacking Labour for the amount of borrowing.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also responded to questions and 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”.
Peters’ motion, to “take urgent steps towards establishing a ceasefire”, also asked Parliament to express grave concern at the ongoing violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Peters said the Government also “unequivocally condemn” the Hamas terror attacks of October 7 and calls for the release of all hostages.
He moved that Parliament recognises Israel’s right to defend itself acting in accordance with international law and that all civilians be protected from armed conflict.
The debate began with Labour’s associate foreign affairs spokesman Damien O’Connor alleging what was happening in Gaza was “nothing more than a genocide”.
“The situation in Gaza is absolutely appalling. No person with any ounce of moral courage can see this as anything more than a genocide,” O’Connor said.
Later in Question Time, Green MP Golriz Ghahraman said the Government’s statement was not enough and also accused Israel of war crimes, including genocide.
In response, Peters said that claim had not been proven and had to be investigated by the International Court of Justice.
On Wednesday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said there was a heightened risk of “atrocity crimes” in Gaza, but did not go as far to say genocide was occurring.
Türk has also called for an investigation into the Hamas attacks on October 7, including allegations of sexual violence.
Minister of Trade Todd McClay said the Government supported Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas, but must abide by international law.
He said they were also calling on Hamas to release all hostages, cease its attacks on Israel and “deplorable” use of citizens as human shields.
Labour MP Phil Twyford, who last term had been behind a policy to recognise a state of Palestine, said while he supported the motion the question needed to be asked of what came after.
He proposed an amendment to the motion to reaffirm New Zealand’s support for a two-state solution, a longstanding Government position.
The amendment also called for “the establishment of a free and independent Palestinian state”.
He said the only way for lasting peace was to support self-determination of both Israel and Palestine.
“Bombing people into oblivion will simply breed extremism,” he said.
Luxon did not speak during the debate, but in response to questions from Hipkins said the Government would like to see an like to see an “enduring, sustainable ceasefire” but both parties needed to agree to it.
Business then moved to the first Question Time.
Former ministers from the ousted Labour Government tried to use the first question time to get under the skin of the new National regime by wrong-footing new ministers with curly detail-heavy questions - a tactic often used when there’s a change of regime.
Hipkins was first up, asking Luxon: “What’s the difference between [immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce] and an immediate ceasefire?” - the Government has backed the former but is yet to back the latter.
Luxon was caught off guard, and could not give an answer to the question.
He was bailed out by an unlikely helper - Peters, who asked a supplementary question, asking Luxon about a UN statement NZ had supported.
Michael Neilson is a Senior Political Reporter based at Parliament in Wellington. He has been a journalist since 2016, first at the Gisborne Herald before joining the NZ Herald in 2018, covering social issues, the environment and Māori affairs.