Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given her first speech of the year to Parliament.
After a Ministerial statement in which she commended emergency services for managing the wildfires in the Nelson region, she began her statement by moving that the House "express its confidence in the coalition Government and commend its programme for 2019".
She said she hoped all Members of the House had enjoyed a "restorative summer", and said she'd spent the break reflecting on her Government's achievements in 2018.
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"While there is plenty, there is still a lot to do," she said, adding that "a teething baby has no timetable or respect for summer" in reference to her young daughter Neve.
Ms Ardern says 2019 will see a continuation of her Government's vision for the country, such as increasing the minimum wage and investing further in social infrastructure.
A number of working groups are expected to report back in the months ahead, including the Tax Working Group and the Fairy Pay Agreement Working Group.
Her speech was met with a standing ovation from Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens.
Watch the video.
