Ardern fields questions over Government's response to leaky buildings at Middlemore Hospital and the escalation of the 'trade wars' after China retaliated to US tariffs on steel and aluminium.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be seeking to put the trials of the past fortnight behind her as Parliament resumes after Easter but is set to face further questioning over Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran this week.
Ardern will speak to media this morning and is likely to field further questionsover that as well as the Government's response to leaky buildings at Middlemore Hospital and major international issues such as the escalation in the 'trade wars' after China retaliated to US tariffs on steel and aluminium.
Easter also marked the start of some of the Government's income measures – including the boost to the Accommodation Supplement for low income earners and a rise in the minimum wage to $16.50 an hour.
The bulk of it, including increases to Working for Families, will begin in July. Ardern has a 10-year target of more than halving child poverty.
This week will also see the passing of a bill to pardon those convicted of homosexual acts. That bill was introduced last year by former Justice Minister Amy Adams and at the same time Parliament unanimously supported an apology from the House.
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Ardern has so far defended Curran after Hirschfeld resigned for repeatedly telling her bosses at RNZ that a breakfast with Curran was a coincidence rather than planned – Curran revealed last week it had been in her diary and she had told RNZ officials of that after learning they had told a select committee it was unplanned.
RNZ's chief executive Paul Thompson and Richard Griffin have been called back to the select committee this week to correct their earlier account, ensuring the saga will draw out.
National leader Simon Bridges told Newshub this morning there were further questions to answer for Curran.
"Quite clearly the Government's trying to say 'nothing to see here, no big deal' - but if that's the case, why did Carol Hirschfeld have to resign?
And why New Zealanders should worry about that is because it took a whole lot of drawing out in Parliament through proper processes to get to the bottom of it.
You've got fundamentally a Government that looks a bit more like an extended family reunion gone wrong than a competent Government."
