Parliament rap: Winston Peters wraps up the political year as Rawiri Waititi sings a Māori Christmas

• Winston Peters criticised Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori during his adjournment debate speech.
• Rawiri Waititi and Chlöe Swarbrick criticised the Government’s actions on race relations and coalition policies.
• Christopher Luxon and David Seymour used humour to reflect on the year’s political dynamics and challenges.

By RNZ

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters used his adjournment debate slot to take digs at every other party.

Parliament has wrapped up for the year with the traditional debate, in which MPs reflect on the year in a light-hearted way.

Usually a light-hearted affair, it affords MPs a chance to sum up how the year went – often by trying their hands at stand-up comedy.

Peters took a swipe at Labour for handing the Government a terrible economy, and the Greens for never getting into Cabinet.

But half of his 12-minute slot was taken up with criticism of Te Pāti Māori.

“When you declare war on us, you get a reply, that’s coming next year, so you have a good Christmas, ‘cos you’ll need it sunshine, and your big loud mouth not going to help you any longer.”

Peters said coalitions were not easy, but the Government had done extraordinarily well.

What did other party leaders have to say?

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi spoke directly to mokopuna before picking up a guitar to sing a song in the tune of Winter Wonderland, taking his own jab at the coalition.

Rawiri Waititi MP

“This year ain’t been pretty,

“Toitū Te Tiriti,

“A three-headed goose,

“But we know the truth,

“Marching on stolen Māori land.

“In the Beehive they can build a front man,

“Act like there’s not a racist clown,

“He’ll say will you join me,

“I’ll say no man,

“Our mokopuna will make a stand.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wrapped up the year by taking a dig at himself.

Luxon referred to his habit of “corporate speak”: “Well, I don’t know how I can be any clearer, what I would say to you is that we have some big goals to chunk down so that we can grip up the deliverables and benchmark our KPI targets, and I make no apologies for that.”

He also called out his coalition partners – saying Secret Santa was awkward this year as Peters and David Seymour kept claiming credit for every present.

Act leader Seymour said he thought it was a game of pass the parcel “because there seemed to be a layer of blue wrapping over all the pink wrapping that we’ve been trying to give the public”.

He began his speech by saying: “I bring good news and bad news, the good news is that my staff are far too busy to write a speech full of jokes, the bad news is, I’m gonna do them off the cuff.”

Seymour said the Opposition was still in the stages of grief, focusing on tiny issues compared to the serious issues the coalition was concerning itself with.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins' speech took a more serious tone, criticising the Government for its actions in health, race relations and funding cuts.

But he spent some time comparing the Government to various movies, including Goodbye Pork Pie.

“They seem to be doing to the country what that crew did to that Mini as it went through the country, flogging off bits here and there, ripping pieces off the car and by the time it gets to the South Island, there’s not much left.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins

Hipkins said the most appropriate movie to compare the Government to was Back to the Future.

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick also took a number of swipes at the Government.

Swarbrick said the actions of the Government have left anyone with a heart feeling heavy.

She criticised the Prime Minister for adopting coalition policies that he had previously criticised.

“Mr Prime Minister, has selling out on everything that matters been worth it for the price of power because if the estimated 100,000 people that this Government has managed to mobilise against their attacks on Te Tiriti o Waitangi tell us anything, it is that your power, Mr Prime Minister, will be fleeting.”

Swarbrick also paid tribute to her fellow co-leader Marama Davidson, who continues to undergo breast cancer treatment.