Any hopes of a new-found sense of co-operation and bi-partisanship soon went out the window, however, as all the old rancour and rivalry from the previous 12 months was reheated, in some cases to boiling point.
Parliament does not help itself in this respect in that its annual first order of business is a statement from the prime minister, followed by 13 hours of slanging off at each other, punctuated by the occasional piece of government business.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon kicked off extolling his "passionate MPs fighting for our folk in the cities, whether it’s Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington or Christchurch, representing all those diverse, different communities."
Can anyone spot the missing city in that list?
Mr Luxon did at least go on to mention National’s provincial MPs, including Otago and Southland, but Labour leader Chris Hipkins was quick to pick up on the omission.
"Christopher Luxon says the bottom line is that we should say ‘no’ less and ‘yes’ a lot more. What did they say to delivering new inter-island ferries? ‘No’. What did they say to delivering a new Dunedin hospital? ‘No’."
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who can be a compelling public speaker when he is on form, was a major disappointment, racing through his prepared remarks so as to give himself plenty of time for ad-libbed attacks on Te Pāti Māori and the Greens.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi is probably fair game, especially as he gives as much out as he gets. But the attacks by Mr Peters, aided with even less gravitas by his deputy Shane Jones, on Green MPs not born in New Zealand were deeply distasteful.
The main target of the men’s ire was Greens musterer Ricardo Menendez March, but Dunedin list MP Francisco Hernandez got caught in the crossfire of Mr Jones’ call to "send the Mexicans home" — Mr Hernandez’s family were refugees from the Philippines — and Mr Peters’ demand that the MPs "show some gratitude" for being in New Zealand.
Mr Hernandez made an honourable response on Wednesday night via the unlikely vehicle of the Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill first reading: "I also wanted to wish my frenemies in New Zealand First a very happy new year. I won’t mention any of you by name, because being a foreign-born New Zealander — as your deputy leader put it — is not in the most fashion in your party at the moment."
NZ First is entirely in the wrong here, but its leadership is brazening this out and refusing to apologise which, while it may well play well with some of its base, does little to endear it to a wider audience.
But back to the prime minister’s statement and the two southern responses to it thus far.
Taieri Labour MP Ingrid Leary was first cab off the rank and there was no gentle progression through the gears from her. She started out with: "I have a very clear message for this government and this prime minister: Southerners can’t stand this government, quite frankly", and it was all downhill from there.
Ms Leary also labelled the government as being crazy, untrustworthy and callous, and as being economic mismanagers who ignored the South Island.
"Not only does the ferry decision disadvantage South Islanders but, actually, in my own electorate of Taieri, with the Hillside Workshops — $105 million investment from the Labour government, the revitalisation of the local economy, jobs for young people, that is all now in jeopardy thanks to the lack of decisions and the crazy decisions, quite frankly, of this finance minister."
Ms Leary was also, like all southern opposition MPs, still fuming about the inordinate and expensive delays in progressing the new Dunedin hospital.
"It is by far and away the biggest issue in the electorate. People need a decent hospital and they’re really sick of the financial mismanagement, the haemorrhaging of $120,000 to $150,000 per day that this National government doesn’t make a decision."
Taieri Green list MP Scott Willis was up soon after, and while just as keen on the hospital as Ms Leary, he really wanted to talk about energy and growth, and washing.
"I heard a confused soap salesman hoping like hell that selling his story will make people buy his dud product before the business goes bust — all soap and suds, empty of substance, ultimately leaving Kiwis with nothing but dirty dishwater. That’s all the Prime Minister could muster yesterday."
Mr Willis had a few things he wanted the government to get on with, such as delivering a national policy statement for renewable electricity generation and a national energy strategy ... but given the pro-development stance of the government, Mr Willis might want to be careful what he wishes for.
"More than that, so far the government has said no to any restructure of the electricity market, despite an already prepared Bill in the ballot that would enable innovation and competition in both retail and generation markets and help drive down electricity prices for consumers."
That Bill, in the name of, let’s check — oh, coincidentally enough, it’s Scott Willis — did not get drawn in the year’s first Member’s Bill ballot.
On the move
Several select committee membership changes were announced this week, with two significant southern moves: Mr Hernandez has moved from petitions to what looks a natural fit for a former Otago University Students’ Association president, education and workforce. Meanwhile Waitaki National MP Miles Anderson, who has often complained about the amount of red tape bedevilling farmers, will now have the chance to do something about it as a member of regulations review.
