{"id":609063,"date":"2026-09-23T09:16:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/609063\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T09:16:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:16:13","slug":"parliament-ends-for-another-term-with-sneers-and-cheers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/609063\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliament ends for another term with sneers and cheers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parliament has ended for another term with politicians landing their final pre-election blows in the House.<\/p>\n

The adjournment debate was full of sneers and cheers, with party leaders criticising their opposition and crowing about their own successes, and what they bring to the electorate.<\/p>\n

It began with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon defending the coalition’s stability, followed by Labour leader Chris Hipkins suggesting ACT and New Zealand First had run rings around National.<\/p>\n

Here’s what each party leader had to say.<\/p>\n

Christopher Luxon<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Christopher Luxon repeated National’s “no new taxes” refrain multiple times in the House. File photo.<\/p>\n

VNP\/Phil Smith<\/p>\n

Luxon thanked his own MPs, as well as coalition partners ACT and New Zealand First.<\/p>\n

“Despite every prediction, we have delivered strong and stable government at the moment New Zealanders needed it most,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We have shown that three parties can disagree honestly and still work together for New Zealand, and we have found common ground and we have governed in the National interest.”<\/p>\n

He laid out the government’s achievements across the term, comparing them against a country “in trouble” when , before moving on to what National could offer New Zealanders.<\/p>\n

“Make no mistake, this is a policy election,” he said, proceeding to list National’s policies.<\/p>\n

Luxon repeated National’s “no new taxes” refrain multiple times, with MPs echoing it in chorus around him.<\/p>\n

“This election is a very straight choice: a National party growing the economy so Kiwis can get ahead, or a radical, a radical Labour coalition addicted to spending and taxing and borrowing,” he said.<\/p>\n

Chris Hipkins<\/p>\n

\"Chris<\/p>\n

Chris Hipkins said government failed to deliver on its promise to fix the cost of living. File photo.<\/p>\n

VNP \/ Phil Smith<\/p>\n

Hipkins immediately questioned Luxon’s claims about the coalition’s strength.<\/p>\n

“Three years ago, I said that if Christopher Luxon went into government with David Seymour and Winston Peters, they would run circles around them,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Well, it’s just as well they work in a round building, Mr Speaker, because they’ve run the carpet threadbare.”<\/p>\n

Hipkins said the government failed to deliver on its promise to fix the cost of living.<\/p>\n

“This is a government that’s had the wrong priorities, that’s been out of touch with New Zealanders, and now they are out of time as well,” he said.<\/p>\n

He offered three stories which he said illustrated the government’s track record: one about a conversation with an emergency department nurse who said their ED was always in crisis, a Wellington business owner whose turnover plummeted following public sector job cuts, and new parents in a supermarket who said they could not make ends meet.<\/p>\n

“We cannot afford three more years of this government,” he said, adding that Labour would offer New Zealanders real help with the cost of living.<\/p>\n

Chl\u00f6e Swarbrick<\/p>\n

\"Green<\/p>\n

Chl\u00f6e Swarbrick said politics was a game to the coalition parties, but it wasn’t a game for those sturggling to get by. File photo.<\/p>\n

RNZ \/ Samuel Rillstone<\/p>\n

Swarbrick brought along props: print-outs of headlines illustrating what she asserted were the government’s failings, on everything from climate change to pay equity changes and benefit sanctions.<\/p>\n

She laid into the coalition, saying it was ironic that the prime minister believed M\u0101ori ceded sovereignty<\/a> because Winston Peters is “the most self-sovereign individual this Parliament has ever seen”.<\/p>\n

Swarbrick also took aim at the government’s priorities.<\/p>\n

“This parliament has spent hours and hours making English an official language, and the three men in charge of this country have decided to waste all of our time defining what a woman is,” she said.<\/p>\n

Swarbrick said this term she had realised politics was a game to the coalition parties.<\/p>\n

“But politics is not a game when it is the difference between whether your family can eat, whether they have a roof over their head,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I know that means that we get a reputation for being uptight dorks, I know that it means that we get a reputation for being angry, but Mr Speaker, I make no apologies for caring about this country, because that is the point.”<\/p>\n

David Seymour<\/p>\n

\"ACT<\/p>\n

David Seymour claimed ACT was responsible for $14 billion in savings. File photo.<\/p>\n

VNP\/Phil Smith<\/p>\n

Seymour thanked Luxon and Peters “for the way we’ve worked together more successfully than our worst enemies’ worst nightmares to put a record amount of legislation through this House, making New Zealand a better place.”<\/p>\n

He said ACT was responsible for $14 billion in savings from its ministers and policies over the term.<\/p>\n

“We worked out that’s $57,000 for each person who voted for us.<\/p>\n

“Now, when you consider it’s free to give your party vote to ACT, it’s got to be a good deal.”<\/p>\n

He also claimed victory for stopping three new taxes during the term.<\/p>\n

“We welcome new disciples to the Church of No New Taxes, no matter how recently they may have sinned,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We know Chris [Luxon] has changed churches before, and we’re glad to see him at our one preaching no new taxes.”<\/p>\n

He said this term ACT started a debate no one else was willing to – over the Treaty of Waitangi principles – and said the party would continue to campaign for “one law for all”.<\/p>\n

Winston Peters<\/p>\n

\"Winston<\/p>\n

Winton Peters said he was “coming back real big time”. File photo.<\/p>\n

VNP \/ Phil Smith<\/p>\n

In a typically combative speech, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters railed against other MPs in the House, the previous government’s ferry terminals, vaccine mandates, and the “waa-waa-w\u0101nanga.”<\/p>\n

He began by referencing the 56 members bills New Zealand First MPs have submitted throughout the term, saying they represented New Zealand First’s values of “social conservatism, patriotism, economic nationalism, and common sense,” and that they would be adopted in the next coalition agreement.<\/p>\n

Speaking of his own foreign affairs work, Peters noted he had been to all 17 Pacific member states, and China twice.<\/p>\n

Peters was frequently heckled during his speech, particularly by the Greens and Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori, to which he responded “we know what a Treaty is. We know what a woman is,” to further heckling.<\/p>\n

“Oh, bye bye Winston? Stand back sunshine. I’ve got news for you. I’m coming back real big time. We’re coming back with an army.”<\/p>\n

Rawiri Waititi<\/p>\n

\"Te<\/p>\n

Rawiri Waititi said it had been the “most anti-M\u0101ori, anti-Tiriti, anti-taiao, anti-worker government in a generation”. File photo.<\/p>\n

RNZ \/ Samuel Rillstone<\/p>\n

Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said while this would be the last speech he delivered this term, “like Arnold Schwarzenegger said, I’ll be back”.<\/p>\n

Waititi went on to describe the government as “the most anti-M\u0101ori, anti-Tiriti, anti-taiao, anti-worker government in a generation,” and on November 7th the opposition would “issue their move-on orders” from Parliament.<\/p>\n

He referenced pay equity, the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, the M\u0101ori ward reforms, the removal of Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act, and the Treaty Principles Bill.<\/p>\n

Waititi thought he had been given 10 minutes, but the Speaker reminded him he had a split call, and so only five.<\/p>\n

“I will go to the back page, Mr Speaker,” he said.<\/p>\n

“This is the last stand that this government will make. Come November 7th, you’ll be bye-bye, good-bye, kia ora t\u0101tou.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Parliament has ended for another term with politicians landing their final pre-election blows in the House. The adjournment…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":609064,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-609063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609063"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609063\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/609064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}