Live: Christopher Luxon gives his State of the Nation speech

Christopher Luxon is delivering his state of the nation speech, setting the tone of the National Party’s election year campaign.

Luxon is expected to call for the consultants’ “gravy train” to be ground to a halt, promising National, if elected, would order the public service to cut $400 million from its $1.74 billion consultants’ bill.

But he does not want to bring those private-sector workers in-house, saying the public service in its current size should be able to deliver the work itself.

Stuff will livestream Luxon’s speech, which is expected to start at 11am.

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The cost of living and inflation will also be a major focus.

Luxon was originally scheduled to deliver his state of the nation speech at the start of February, but chose to delay it as Cyclone Gabrielle was forecast to arrive.

The focus on consultants and the efficiency of the public service would be in line with a key theme expected from Luxon’s speech, focusing on whether Prime Minister Chris Hipkins succeeded in his former roles as minister for the state sector and education.

During Hipkins’ time in the Opposition, during the John Key-led Government, he was critical of the then $500m being spent on consultants.

“They’re actually just the same people doing the same work, but being paid higher rates,” Hipkins said.

It’s expected that Luxon will focus on the growth in public sector consultancy bills to question Hipkins’ efficacy as the minister for the public service. Luxon was also expected to focus on Labour’s record in education.