Parliament’s final debate of the year: Politicians trade last barbs

Parliament had its last debate for the year this afternoon, the adjournment debate.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon skipped the debate, with Chris Penk, who described himself as “the most senior Chris” on the Government side, speaking for the Government.

Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern usually spoke in adjournment debates, but did not always - she skipped the 2020 debate.

Other party leaders spoke. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the Government was making a habit of saying one thing and doing the other, citing recent incidents of Luxon’s taxpayer-funded te reo Māori lessons, his wife’s subsidised Tesla purchase and his decision to take an Air Force plane to Australia having previously said he would fly commercially.

He said New Zealanders should “be careful to listen to what [the Government] say because what they do will be entirely different”.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and senior government Minister Shane Jones share a laugh during the final Question Time of the year. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Green co-leader James Shaw opened by wishing Parliament a Meri Kirimihete and joked the Government MPs might not understand what that means.

Act leader David Seymour extended an olive branch to his coalition colleagues in NZ First.

“I never quite believed that politics makes strange bedfellows until I got into bed with you guys,” he said.

He added that the Opposition seemed to think the Government was both incredibly divided and dysfunctional, but also so functional that it posed a risk to the country.

NZ First leader Winston Peters paid tribute to the parliamentary staff.

The adjournment debate is usually a lighthearted and jovial affair, with MPs making good-humoured and (mostly) good-natured barbs at each others’ expense.

There had been some doubt the House could even rise today. The new Government has put the House into urgency to repeal a swathe of the former Government’s legislation.

With the Opposition putting up a fight to delay the repeals, there was some doubt that the House would make it to this point today.

Labour MPs are doing their best to wind up the new Government, with Hipkins asking a series of questions of Peters, which included critical remarks made by National and Act MPs about the NZ First leader.

Peters took them in good humour, noting that everyone can change their minds.

Speaker Gerry Brownlee. Photo / Mark Mitchell

He spoke about the 2017-2020 Labour Government, which was supported by NZ First. He said he was the “handbrake” in that Government.

“The best thing they can do is start remembering who they represent,” the veteran MP said.

When Peters was heckled by Green MP Darleen Tana to honour te Tiriti, he shot back with remarks about “the Treaty” not “te Tiriti”.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the departure of swathes of Labour MPs reminded her that most MPs would be forgotten.

“We are replaceable, and most of us are indeed forgettable, most of us won’t end up as bronze statues, or indeed, Winston Peters,” she said.

Labour was trying to put pressure on National’s tax plan before it’s announced next year, raising questions in the House about whether it could be funded sustainably.

Megan Woods leaned on Finance Minister Nicola Willis to explain how National’s “carbon dividend” would work. The carbon dividend recycles revenue from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) into income tax cuts, which has led some critics to say it is not a pure carbon dividend which rises and falls with the ETS price.