New Zealand’s new government sworn in, Parliament expected to open next week
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National Party leader Christopher Luxon speaking to supporters at his election party on Oct 14 after winning New Zealand’s general election.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WELLINGTON – New Zealand’s new right-of-centre government was sworn in on Nov 27, with Parliament expected to sit next week and begin working on new policies, including a new central bank mandate and lifting a ban on oil and gas exploration.
New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro, who represents British monarch King Charles III as head of state, swore National Party leader Christopher Luxon in as New Zealand’s 42nd prime minister, along with ministers of his Cabinet, at Government House in Wellington.
Centre-right National signed coalition agreements with libertarian ACT New Zealand and populist New Zealand First on Nov 24, allowing the three parties to form a government and bringing an end to six years of left-wing governments in the country.
Mr Luxon, a former airline executive, told TVNZ’s 1News that he was excited about taking on the role of prime minister.
“We’ve got the team, we’ve got the ideas, we’ve got a clear policy programme for the next three years,” he said.
The incoming government’s coalition agreements, released Nov 24, outlined a number of policy plans, including a single mandate for the country’s central bank, a plan to roll back the use of Maori language and an end to a ban on oil and gas exploration.
The New Zealand Green Party on Nov 27 launched a petition to keep the ban on oil and gas exploration.
“We ask everyone to stand with us to tell this government that the oil and gas ban has to stay,” Green Party co-leader James Shaw said in a statement.
The Green Party has said it will reintroduce a ban on new sources of fossil fuels when it returns to government. REUTERS
