Labour Party Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni and Labour Leader Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
As talks to form a coalition government continue, the question of who will be the next Deputy Prime Minister has been one of the sticking points.
Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has previously characterised the role of deputy prime minister as "largely a ceremonial role".
ACT leader David Seymour somewhat agreed saying: "I think he's right to say it's ceremonial in a sense that all ministers are ceremonial in some ways. I mean, Minister of Health isn't usually actually doing operations, but also all ministerial roles involve a responsibility. The job has to be taken seriously, and often involve some real hard work.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni says the role is "not ceremonial at all".
"It's not fair at all, I think it's a very important position."
"Certainly when I got the role of deputy prime minister, my Pasifika community, my West Auckland community, everyone that I knew in my circle and who I cam across in the street, saw it as very important.
"You are the person who stands in when the prime minister is not available, you also play an important role within your Caucus and making sure that those relationships are ... unified."
With the prime minister often busy, the deputy stands by to do everything else, she said.
With a government still not formed, Sepuloni said it would be difficult to have Parliament running longer, as Luxon had wanted.
Luxon has said an announcement related to a mini-budget would be able to be achieved by Christmas.
In October he said when the new government was formed Parliament will run for longer and he expects it will need to start earlier in the new year.
Sepuloni said from a practical point of view, it would be very hard with a late start to expect and get underway the drafting of legislation required to keep politicians that long.
"You actually have to have business on the programme.
"But they can't start drafting effectively until a government is in place and the directions are given. Now, some of that's not easy and some of the expectations in terms of the 100-day programme is actually repeal ... repeal of a number of things and actually unravelling things can be just as difficult as implementing something that's new."
Advice on cost implications was also needed, she said.
