The resumption of politics as usual

While overshadowed by Rod Donald's death, today marks the first step towards the resumption of politics as usual: Parliament will be formally opened, Members sworn in, and a Speaker elected. Tomorrow, we have the Speech from the Throne (in which the government outlines its legislative programme for the next three years), and then everybody will get down to the usual business of sniping and backbiting for another term. Which means that I'll finally have plenty to blog about after almost two months in which New Zealand politics has been taking a holiday...