Politics

PM outlines priorities for coming days

17:15 pm on 22 January 2018

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has outlined her short-term schedule saying she expects to make announcements about a mental health enquiry and employment law in the coming days.

Parliament and Beehive Photo: RNZ

The Prime Minister spoke to the media while attending the first caucus meeting of the year which is being held in Martinborough in Wairarapa.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has outlined her short-term schedule saying she expected to make announcements about a mental health enquiry and employment law in the coming days.

She also said she would be spending more than five days at Waitangi from next Thursday.

Ms Ardern said Waitangi was about more than just one day; it was about the Crown's relationship with Northland.

"I want to make full use of the time when people are gathered there to meet together as a government that wants to form strong, open transparent relationships, this is a fresh start for us."

The party has been reviewing its 100 day plan - with the 3 February deadline fast approaching.

Ms Ardern indicated she hoped to release further information about an inquiry into mental health and some changes to employment law in the next week or so.

Ms Ardern outlined the government's short-term schedule.

  • Tuesday - the government will meet as a Cabinet and Ms Ardern said she hoped to announce decisions around the inquiry into mental health services.
  • Wednesday - the government will be travelling to Ratana as a team and Ms Ardern said she was looking forward to being at the first part of those celebrations.
  • Thursday - Cabinet committees meet - Ms Ardern said she would flag what the government was going to be doing in the employment area, as the previous government made changes that Labour disagreed with. She said that fair pay agreements were not a part of that piece of work and they would be put on a longer track.
  • Friday - Ms Ardern said she would be in Dunedin for a day of events and activities.
  • Monday - Speaking at the Laneway festival in Auckland.
  • Tuesday - Government reconvening for Cabinet.
  • Wednesday - The Prime Minister said she would be in Christchurch and would be giving a speech to wrap the government's 100 days a bit early
  • Thursday - The Prime Minister will be travelling to Waitangi and spending more than five days there. She said that was a bit unusual, but it was about more than just one day and was instead about the government's relationships with Northland and its people and communities, as well as being about the relationship between the Crown and iwi and Maori generally. Ms Ardern described it as a fresh start.
    • The government was working on a plan for the 200 days after their first three months in office, "turning what was a 100-day plan into a 300-day plan."