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AAP
AAP
Ben McKay

NZ's top brass attend 54th State Opening of Parliament

The New Zealand governor-general has laid out the government's policy agenda in a constitutional set play rich in pageantry to begin the new parliamentary term.

Dame Cindy Kiro, King Charles III's representative in New Zealand, held court at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday in Wellington.

The country's top brass - including heads of the judiciary, police, defence forces and public sector - took part in the procession across the parliamentary grounds into the legislative chamber.

After a 21-gun salute, Dame Cindy read a nearly hour-long speech prepared by the office of Prime Minister Chris Luxon, detailing the government's plans ahead.

"The new government is committed to delivering; to getting things done. It wants people to see demonstrable, measurable results that make their lives easier, and help them to get ahead," she said.

NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT
The Prime Minister's Reception in the Banquet Hall at New Zealand's State Opening of Parliament. (Ben McKay/AAP PHOTOS)

The address, known as the Speech from the Throne, is made every three years to coincide with the formal opening of each parliament.

The speech took in key planks of the coalition government's work program, including "restoring law and order and personal responsibility so Kiwis feel safer where they live and work".

"It will deliver public services so they are more efficient, effective and responsive to all who need and use them," Dame Cindy said.

"Its policy program will be extensive and ambitious, reflecting the amount of change necessary to provide hope and opportunity for more New Zealanders, and for this great nation to realise more of its potential."

The coalition - a grouping of the centre-right National party, libertarians ACT and populists NZ First - has agreed a shared policy platform as well as a 100-day plan to take it through to March.

"There is a lot to get on with and that work is already well underway," Mr Luxon said.

The first piece of legislation it will move is to removing unemployment from the Reserve Bank's mandate, so the central bank is focused purely on returning inflation to the target band of one to three per cent.

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