The 2015 Parliamentary year begins today at 2pm with John Key presenting the Prime Minister’s statement to the House.
Despite coming just a few months after the Government outlined its plans in the Speech from the Throne following the election, the year will kick off with Mr Key outlining his Government’s priorities for the year.
The event used to be a stilted affair with the Prime Minister of the day having to give a copy of the speech under embargo to the media and the Opposition, and then stick to their delivered version.
Since 2008 though the rules changed and while the Prime Minister still gives a copy of their statement out in advance, instead at 2pm today Mr Key will move a motion of confidence and make a speech of up to 20 minutes around the statement.
The debate on the statement will take 11 hours with the leaders of Labour, Greens and New Zealand First getting 20 minutes and other MPs getting ten minutes each.
The Government may choose to adjourn the debate to deal with its business and there will be no Members’ Day until the Wednesday following completion of the debate. The first Question Time will take place tomorrow.
If the Government does adjourn the debate, the bills on top of the Order Paper are the third reading of the Education Amendment Bill (No. 2) and second reading of the Immigration Amendment Bill (No 2).
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