Opposition leader Bill English's State of the Nation speech was delivered today as speculation mounts around his leadership.
Mr English, the National Party leader, said he believes previous National Party policies would help the government help make a prosperous New Zealand.
However, he was highly critical of the government's child poverty reduction plan, saying the tertiary fees policy would drain any further spending from 2020 to help children in need.
He said the government's policy"recipe could actually do real harm".
The Opposition leader says “the legislation is all about intentions, not about substance". (Source: Other)
Mr English was peppered with questions about leadership, admitting he considered standing down after the 2017 election when Winston Peters chose to go with Labour. However he didn't seem worried of any future leadership challenges.
He also touched on the Green medicinal cannabis bill to be voted on this afternoon, and said MPs could cross the floor without being punished if they were passionately for it.
Prime Minister Ardern's First 100 Days speech is scheduled for 5.30pm this afternoon.
Bill English's State of the Nation speech as it happened:
1.24pm He says the new government is "a relatively weak" one for a first term government.
1.22pm Mr English considered standing down when Winston Peters made his decision to go with Labour/Greens.
1.18pm MPs won't be punished if they cross the floor (vote against the party vote) in the Green's medicinal cannabis bill. National are set to vote as a block against it, but Mr English says some MPs may vote for it. MP Chris Bishop, standing behind Mr English, was asked how he would vote but wouldn't comment.
1.16pm 1 NEWS reporter Andrea Vance asked about Chloe Swarbrick's cannabis bill. Mr English says one or two MPs had strong feelings on the Bill, who could cross the floor.
1.13pm Amy Adams has taken the stand. She says Bill will continue to lead the party. "I have no knowledge of any moves to have a change of leadership".
1.10pm He said Paula Bennett is a "robust" politician who can hold up against speculation of deputy leadership bids.
He was not concerned about party discipline.
1.08pm He said he wouldn't "over read" the speculation on the day he has State of the Nation, and he won't be "derailed by a bit of gossip".
1.05pm He was asked if he will lead National into the 2020 election. "The leadership of a Opposition party is contingent on performance, so I commit to the performance," he said. This has spurred journalists to continue questioning if he will stay as leader.
1pm Questions have stared. He says National will run a campaign against Labour's industrial relations policies. "They have avoided putting all their policies in one place."
The Opposition leader did not hold back in his condemnation of Labour in his State of the Nation Speech. (Source: Other)
12.59pm Mr English has finished his speech, saying the 2017 election "produced a government which is more in line with the majority preference", saying he hopes the country will continue with positive policies, "driven by optimism".
12.55pm He's hitting on Labour's fair pay agreements, saying it is the "completely wrong solution", saying National backed "grown up conversations" between employees and employers.
"It wants the unions, the government and the industry environment to agree on the workplace settings for you". He says the reforms are about supporting union officials, not workers.
12.52pm Mr English says the government's "recipe could actually do real harm to the lives of thousands of New Zelanders".
12.51pm He says New Zealand will "return to the bad old days of servicing misery, not reducing it, due to recent changes to policy.
12.43pm We're onto child poverty . He says National "share the government's goal of reducing child poverty", however "the legislation is all about intentions, not about substance".
He says the forecast means "all the money will be gone", meaning the government will not be able to "make further significant reductions" from 2020, as all the money "has been spent on the first year free tertiary education".
12.38pm Shots fired. The critique of the government has begun, with Mr English saying they have " a nostalgic belief in trees, trains and trade unions ", with the strong economy about to help their "poorly thought out policies" muddle along. "nothing will actually happen to reduce child poverty.. that hasn't already been decided". He says the government's "crusade" will not make a different.
12.33pm Earlier today, Mr English said he was " focused on leading National back into government and I'm giving a speech today outlining how we are going to do that, including the party's focus for the year ahead and how we will hold this Government to account".
12.35pm National have given their support for the revised TPP, meaning it should pass without a hitch in March.
12.25pm "New Zealanders have become used to living in a successful, aspiration country," Mr English says, and that the challenge is whether that continues. He just said being in Opposition is not "tiddly-winks", and that all parties want to decrease poverty, jobs, a healthy environment - "Everyone can agree on these intentions, the bit is how to achieve them".
12.23pm Mr English has started his speech, saying it was "a bit different in opposition" but leadership speculation certainly does turn out the journalists.
12.15pm National Party leader Bill English is facing reporters prior to his speech delivery. This time last year, Mr English was delivering his first State of the Nation speech as PM, where he emphasised New Zealand's strong and potential trade relationship with the EU and UK, spoke about the country's high prison population saying it needed to decrease, and announced that $500m would go to policing.
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