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Honourable Members.

The National-led Government’s busy and ambitious policy agenda and legislative programme in 2017 will continue to back New Zealanders to succeed.

This is a Government focused on delivering more opportunities for people to get ahead.

It is a Government that backs New Zealanders who take risks to create new jobs and new businesses.

It backs New Zealanders who work hard so they can raise their families.

And it backs New Zealanders who need the Government’s support to improve their lives.

Kia ora koutou katoa

What a wonderful, diverse group of people we have here, reflecting the fact that Tamaki Makaurau is one of the most diverse cities in the world.

It’s great to be here with Ngati Whatua on Waitangi Day celebrating the achievement of so many iwi, and so many communities who have come to see that a treaty settlement, that an iwi that is part of their community, is a recipe for success for the future.

Honour and glory to God
Peace to the land
Goodwill to all people
Greetings to us all acknowledging Waitangi day
Here with our hosts Ngati Whatua of Orakei
At Bastion Point,
In Tamaki (Auckland)
I sincerely thank you Ngati Whatua for your warm and generous hospitality
And Invite us all to enjoy Waitangi Day.

Can I acknowledge Ngati Whatua, and thank them for their invitation to come here today.

Good afternoon,

My thanks to the Rotary Club of Auckland, and in particular President Andrew Aitken and the Rotary team for hosting this event.

I also want to acknowledge Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett and Finance Minister Steven Joyce, who are here today. Both of them are doing great work on behalf of New Zealanders.

Special guests, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming today.

The start of the year is the time to stand back and look at how we’re doing as a country.

Another 1125 police staff, including 880 sworn police officers, will be funded over the next four years to reduce crime and prevent reoffending, Prime Minister Bill English announced today.

“New Zealand is the fourth-safest country in the world, but demand for traditional police services is growing, and complex and serious crime is absorbing more police time.

“The Safer Communities package announced today will enable police to put more time, effort and resources into working alongside other agencies with at-risk individuals and communities.”

Prime Minister Bill English has today outlined the parties National will consider working with following this year’s General Election.

“Under MMP elections are always close so we will be taking nothing for granted as we campaign for the right to lead New Zealand for another term,” says Mr English.

“We will be fighting hard to win every party vote to ensure we are in the best possible position to form a strong and stable Government that continues to deliver for all New Zealanders.

Prime Minister Bill English has announced this year’s General Election will be held on Saturday, 23 September.

“As we have done in previous election years I am announcing the election date early as I believe it’s important to provide the country with some certainty and that it’s in everyone’s best interest to have plenty of notice.”

National will be campaigning on its strong record in Government and will go into the election with a positive and ambitious programme that will back New Zealanders to succeed.

Prime Minister Bill English has appointed Parliamentary Private Secretaries to assist in the Ethnic Communities, Police, Economic Development, Environment and Conservation portfolios.

Melissa Lee is re-appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ethnic Communities Minister while Jian Yang will join her in that role.

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi will assist the Minister of Police, Jonathan Young the Minister of Economic Development and Scott Simpson will work with the Environment and Conservation ministers.

Prime Minister Bill English has accepted the invitation of iwi leaders to lead a delegation of ministers to Waitangi to meet ahead of Waitangi Day celebrations, and announced he will not attend the annual powhiri at Te Tii Marae.

“I am looking forward to meeting with the leaders of the 60 iwi who comprise the Iwi Chair’s Forum, to progress a range of issues of importance to Maoridom and New Zealand,” Mr English says.

Prime Minister Bill English will travel to Brussels, London and Berlin next week to meet with leaders to discuss issues including trade and security.

“This is an opportunity to exchange views on a range of issues facing Europe and the world, and to reaffirm that New Zealand remains a committed friend and partner,” Mr English says.

“The focus of my trip will be to advance New Zealand business and trade opportunities in the region, including starting the negotiations on an FTA with the European Union this year.”

The Mt Albert by-election will be held on Saturday 25 February, Prime Minister Bill English has confirmed.

“Following the resignation of MP David Shearer, which takes effect from 31 December, a by-election now needs to take place to fill the Mt Albert seat,” Mr English says.

“Today I’m announcing that the National Party will not be standing a candidate.

“The National Government is focussed on winning the 2017 General Election later in the year.

Prime Minister Bill English has today announced his new Cabinet line-up which builds on the success of the last eight years and provides new ideas and energy heading into election year.

“Over the last eight years National has provided a strong and stable Government which is delivering strong results for New Zealanders,” says Mr English.

“This refreshed Ministerial team builds on that success and provides a mix of new people, alongside experienced Ministers either continuing their roles or taking up new challenges.

Better incomes for households, safer communities and smarter government to support the most vulnerable will remain the Government’s focus, new Prime Minister Bill English says.

Mr English was today sworn in as prime minister after outgoing prime minister John Key tendered his resignation at Government House.

“I want to thank my colleagues for the trust they have shown in me and for the constructive and civil manner in which they have debated over and chosen the new leadership team,” Mr English says.

Formal proposals are being requested from three responders to carry out New Zealand’s largest housing redevelopment project, Ministers Bill English and Dr Nick Smith say.

Ngāti Paoa Consortium, Tūhono Tāmaki Consortium and Exemplar Communities Consortium have been invited to submit proposals for the first phase of the Tāmaki Regeneration project, redeveloping around 1,000 existing social houses into 2,500 social, affordable and market houses. 

Treasury’s latest forecasts show the Government’s programme of responsible economic and fiscal management is delivering benefits for New Zealanders, Finance Minister Bill English says.

“Economic growth is expected to average around 3 per cent over the next five years – considerably stronger than forecast in Budget 2016 - supporting more jobs, falling unemployment and higher incomes,” Mr English says.

John Key’s intelligence, optimism and integrity as Leader of the National Party and Prime Minister of New Zealand means he will be judged by history as one of New Zealand’s greatest leaders, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English says.

“On behalf of the National Party, the Government and New Zealand I thank John for his years of dedicated and outstanding service to our country.

The Government is proposing to transfer up to 2500 social houses in Christchurch to community housing providers (CHPs), Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett have announced.

The Government is progressing its ambitious Social Housing Reform Programme and the Housing New Zealand (HNZ) owned properties in Christchurch are the second tranche to be proposed for transfer, following the appointment of Accessible Properties as the preferred provider for 1124 properties and tenancies in Tauranga. 

A proposal to transfer the ownership and management of Housing New Zealand (HNZ) properties in Horowhenua will not proceed at this time, the Minister Responsible for Housing New Zealand, Bill English says.

The Government has spent a number of months considering a proposal from Horowhenua District Council (HDC) to explore a joint transfer of council-owned flats and HNZ properties and tenancies to a community housing provider (CHP).

The council proposed to ‘package’ its 115 pensioner units in Foxton, Levin and Shannon with 249 HNZ properties.

Targeted early intervention and a Social Investment approach is being reflected in the steadily improving Better Public Services (BPS) Results, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

The Government has released the BPS mid-year report which outlines the progress being made against the 10 challenging Results set by the Prime Minister in 2012.

The NZ Super Fund and the Accident Compensation Corporation’s purchase of minority stakes in Kiwibank has been welcomed by Finance Minister Bill English and State Owned Enterprises Minister Todd McClay.

“The deal keeps Kiwibank in public ownership and gives the bank access to additional sources of capital,” Mr English says.

“It also returns a dividend of about $200 million to the Government which can be used for other high priorities.”

The sale of Solid Energy’s mines provides the best outcome for employees, creditors and communities, Finance Minister Bill English and State Owned Enterprises Minister Todd McClay say.

Solid Energy announced today that it had reached agreement on the sale of the Stockton, Strongman and Liverpool mines on the West Coast, the  Rotowaro and Maramarua mines in the Waikato and the New Vale and Ohai coal mines in Southland.

Finance Minister Bill English has launched an online portal aimed at giving a clearer picture of high-value infrastructure investments opportunities throughout Australasia.

Together with Australian Treasurer, Scott Morrison, Mr English has launched the Australia New Zealand Infrastructure Pipeline (ANZIP) in Sydney today.

About 25 New Zealand-based projects and about 90 Australian-based projects are listed - from government agencies, local authorities, State-owned enterprises and publicly-listed companies. 

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English will lead New Zealand's Ministerial delegation to the annual Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) in Sydney tomorrow.

Mr English will be accompanied by Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy, Trade Minister Todd McClay, Customs Minister Nicky Wagner, and Commerce Minister Paul Goldsmith.