A weekly digest of the events in Parliament.

This is the last Week in Parliament for 2016.

Parliament adjourns after a good natured final debate and festive question time with musical accompaniment from Maori Party co-leaders Marama Fox and Te Ururoa Flavell. Social Services Committee conducts annual financial review of Ministry of Social Development.

David Shearer delivers his valedictory speech, saying farewell to Parliament after nearly seven and a half years as Labour's MP for Mt Albert. Child poverty and deprivation dominate the first questions for Bill English as prime minister, sitting in the seat formerly occupied by John Key. Vulnerable children were also the subject of the first bill put up for debate by his government - the Children, Young Persons and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Bill which passed its first reading by 61-59. Mister English also faced Opposition questions about the removal of bodies from the Pike River coal mine.

Parliament adjourns for the year, back on Tuesday 7 February 2017. Final Question Time for 2016 and Adjournment Debate featuring Marama Fox with Te Ururua Flavell on the ukulele.

Child poverty and Pike River dominate first Question Time for Bill English as prime minister, sitting in the National frontbench seat formerly occupied by John Key. First bill put up for debate by Mister English's National-led Government is the Children, Young Persons and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Bill which passes its first reading by 61 to 59 but is sent to a select committee by the larger margin of 75-45.

A round up of the week in Parliament

An exciting and historic week in the House after Prime Minister, John Key, announces his intention to resign after eight years.

The Leader of the House, Gerry Brownlee, says the House will start the long summer break next Wednesday at the end of the Adjournment Debate. Hinaya Ahu reports on the Local Government and Environment Committee's consideration of a petition requesting that "swimmable" be made the minimum standard for fresh water and TVNZ's annual financial review by the Commerce Committee. MPs take a break from speculating about John Key's successor as National Party leader and Prime Minister to pass the Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquakes Recovery Bill through all its remaining stages. The bill was back in the debating chamber after spending almost a week with the Local Government and Environment Committee whose chairman, Scott Simpson, related how government MPs on the committee heard of Mister Key's resignation announcement. National's Kaikoura MP, Stuart Smith, reports on aspects of his electorate's recovery from the 7.8 magnitude quake.

MPs take a break from speculating about John Key's successor as National Party leader and Prime Minister to pass the Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquakes Recovery Bill through all its remaining stages. The bill was back in the debating chamber after spending almost a week with the Local Government and Environment Committee whose chairman, Scott Simpson, related how government MPs on the committee heard of Mister Key's resignation announcement. National's Kaikoura MP, Stuart Smith, reports on aspects of his electorate's recovery from the 7.8 magnitude quake.