Latest news with #ChrisHipkins
RNZ News
41 minutes ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Labour buoyed by latest showing in RNZ / Reid Research poll
Labour leader Chris Hipkins is taking heart from the party's showing in the new RNZ/ Reid Research poll. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi It's "encouraging" but there's still 18 months of hard work ahead to regain the Treasury benches, Labour leader Chris Hipkins says. He believes the increases in the party support and for him as preferred prime minister are part of a trend that has shown growing support for the party since the 2023 election. Parliament's left bloc would have enough support to govern, according to the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll . The poll was taken in the seven days following the release of the Budget and in the wake of the $12.8 billion pay equity changes - which RNZ's polling also shows attracting more opposition than support . National with 38 seats loses three seats since the previous poll in March while ACT at eight seats loses four. New Zealand First gains two to have 11 seats in the new poll but it's not enough to save the coalition. It would have a total of 57 seats which is below the threshold to govern. Labour gains two seats from RNZ's last poll and is predicted to have 42, according to these results. The Greens gain two to have 14 and Te Pāti Māori gains one to have seven seats. That's 63 seats compared to the coalition's 57. Hipkins said it was "an encouraging poll result" and it showed people were disappointed with the government and the Budget. "I don't think anybody expected them to be cutting pay equity in order to make the Budget balance so I think people are expressing some dissatisfaction with that. "We've still got 18 months to go and we know in the Labour party we're going to have to work hard in that time," he told Morning Report. All of the polls were showing that Labour was rebuilding support since the last general election and it was making good progress. Hipkins was pressed on the lack of Labour policies released so far, however, he countered that the party had outlined its priorities - jobs, health and homes - and detailed policies would be released closer to the election. "We'll get a tax policy out this year. There'll be some other policies as well ... A lot of that does have to wait until you know what you're in a position to deliver on. A lot can change in 18 months." No fiscal plan could be released when the government still had another Budget to deliver prior to the 2026 Budget, he said. Hipkins said he had not changed his opinion that it was "highly unikely" Labour would work with NZ First post-election although he was not completely ruling it out. NZ First's "persecution of minorities" and "backward views on climate change" made them an unappealing coalition partner. Hipkins believed some of the ideas around tax in the Greens' alternative Budget could be looked at. However, "the scale of change the Greens are proposing to do in a rapid period of time would make that very challenging". As for Te Pāti Māori, Hipkins said closer to the election Labour would set out those parties it believed it could operate with and those it would struggle to work with. When it comes to preferred Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon's lost support since the last RNZ / Reid Research poll, down 3.1 percent. He's on 18.8 percent, below Hipkins who's up 2.3 points from March, and on 23.2 percent support. NZ First leader Winston Peters at 8.9 percent (up 1 point) recorded his highest result since 2017. Chlöe Swarbrick in fourth was at 6.9 percent (up 0.8) - a personal best and just ahead of ACT's David Seymour on 6.4 percent (down 0.4). Earlier, Luxon was dismissive of the poll results. "Look, I mean, I don't recognise the numbers. There's lots of different polls and frankly I'm just not going to comment or focus on the polls. Frankly what we're focused on is we were elected in '23 and people get to decide again in 2026. "We've done a good job, and that's why we've got to focus on the economy, law and order, and health and education." He said New Zealanders had "responded really positively" to the government's Budget, and saw the economy turning a corner. Seymour said the numbers would continue to "bounce around" but it was still a tough time for New Zealanders - and the numbers were not a reflection on the Budget. It was possible the pay equity changes were changing some voters' minds, he said, "but I also think doing what is right is what is politically popular in the long term, and even if I'm wrong about that, good policy is worth it anyway". "The fact that ACT is close to where it was on election night 18 months into a government with 18 months to go is a good foundation. We have to prove ourselves on election night, and we've got lots of time to do that." Peters refused to comment on whether his coalition partners were suffering from the handling of the pay equity changes. The next 18 months leading up to the election would show the "critical need for stability", he said, and having ruled out working with Hipkins he was "comfortable and confident in our prospects" because the Greens and Te Pāti Māori in government would be "a nightmare". Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick Photo: RNZ Swarbrick said New Zealanders wanted a sense of hope. "Things are feeling pretty bloody bleak. You know, we've got 191 New Zealanders leaving every single day, three quarters of them between the ages of 18 to 45, it's not a recipe for a flourishing country. "We had dozens and dozens of folks turn out to talk to us about our Green budget and the sense of hope that they feel that they need - the kind of building blocks that we can have for a fairer society." Te Pāti Māori's co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the poll numbers showed the party's policies and rhetoric around the government's actions were appealing to new supporters. "The kind of anti-Māori, anti-wāhine, anti-woman, anti-worker, anti-climate, anti-rainbow, anti-woke type agenda that this government is pushing at the moment also is not appealing to the people who are trying to find a place to put their political support and trying to support those who fiercely advocate for them." Explore the full results with RNZ's interactive charts .
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Labour leader Chris Hipkins on latest RNZ-Reid Research poll
media politics 27 minutes ago According to results out on Wednesday morning, the left bloc would have enough support to govern. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.
RNZ News
15 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Support for National and Labour fall in latest 1News-Verian poll
Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZ The coalition could hold on to power, while National, Labour and ACT all lose support in the latest 1News-Verian poll shows. With small increases for New Zealand First, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, the results would give the coalition a 63-seat majority, to the opposition's 58. Support for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also remains steady, while Labour's Chris Hipkins falls slightly. Four parties outside Parliament all registered 1 point of support: TOP (The Opportunities Party, down 1), New Zeal (up 1), the NZ Outdoor and Freedoms Party (steady), and Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (up 1). People saying they did not know who they would vote for, or refused to answer, accounted for 11 percent of responses. There were only minor changes on the preferred prime minister stakes, with Luxon holding his lead over Hipkins. Preferred prime minister: The poll surveyed 1002 eligible voters and was weighted for demographics, with a margin of error of 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval. It was conducted between 24 and 28 May. The sample for mobile phones is selected by random dialling using probability sampling, and the online sample is collected using an online panel. Undecided voters, non-voters and those who refused to answer are excluded from the data on party support. Polls compare to the most recent poll by the same polling company, as different polls can use different methologies. They are intended to track trends in voting preferences, showing a snapshot in time, rather than be a completely accurate predictor of the final election result.
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Oral Questions for 3 June 2025
Questions to Ministers CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What recent announcements has she made about reforming WorkSafe? NANCY LU to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made about business tax? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement about the Budget that "Wages are forecast to grow faster than the inflation rate, making wage earners better off, on average, in real terms"; if so, what is the effect on wage growth over the forecast period of removing the $12.8 billion from future pay equity claims? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: What announcements has he made on reforming national direction under the Resource Management Act 1991? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Minister for Resources: What announcements has he made regarding energy security in New Zealand? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement in relation to emergency department wait times, "I expect Health New Zealand to empower clinicians at local levels to fix bottlenecks in real time"; if so, is he confident this has occurred ahead of winter 2025? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Education: What announcements has she made regarding learning support as part of Budget 2025? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her proposed changes to WorkSafe; if so, why? PAULO GARCIA to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about social housing tenancies? Question to Member Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: Why did he respond to the referral by the House to the Finance and Expenditure Committee of the Regulatory Standards Bill with a six-month reporting deadline by issuing a call for submissions with a four-week deadline? To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Luxon and Hipkins talk coalition dynamics, people skills and direction for the 2026 election
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has revealed his biggest surprise since entering politics: how many politicians lack people skills. As Parliament reaches the mid-point of the political term - and the handover of the deputy prime ministership from Winston Peters to David Seymour - RNZ sat down with both Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins to reflect on the past 18 months. And Luxon wasn't the only one taking aim at his colleagues, with Hipkins observing he did not think Te Pāti Māori had done a good job of speaking up for Māori wāhine on pay equity in recent weeks, instead concentrating on its own "song and dance around the privileges committee". Luxon told RNZ the skills required to pull National out of its opposition "dysfunction" were similar to what was now needed when leading a three-party coalition government. While compromise was required in a coalition, Luxon said the starting point for him was New Zealand First and ACT signing up to National's platform. "And then, okay, there's also things that were peculiar or particular to both New Zealand First and ACT that are in those agreements that maybe National didn't agree with." Luxon stressed the importance of relationships: "You've got to know each person, you've got to understand what drives them, motivates them, and actually build a relationship, build a rapport." He said he spoke daily with one or both coalition partners and valued face-to-face meetings or "physical time together". The prime minister says ACT leader David Seymour (pictured) is someone he knew as his neighbour in Auckland for years before entering politics. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly Asked to pick a favourite, he first laughed, before saying NZ First leader Winston Peters and ACT leader David Seymour were "both different and equally special to me". "Winston's someone I've got to know and respect, and we've been able to build a good relationship and a good understanding of each other." That did not mean he and Peters agreed on everything, he said, and it was a different relationship compared with Seymour, who he simply described as someone he had known as his neighbour in Auckland for years before entering politics. With next year's election looming, Luxon said it was important to him to look for and develop new talent to run for National. He said he came to politics four years ago "realising that we're actually in the people business", but found "people in politics don't have very good people skills". "There's often very poor professional and leadership development for these folk," he said. "A 35-year-old can show up here, and then you look forward at the age of 55, and they're not that much different from what they were at 35." Hipkins said National's "instability and infighting" in opposition had served as "a cautionary tale" for Labour MPs, as well as his own past experience in the political wilderness. That had taught him when a party lacked "a good, trusting, robust internal culture", it led to instability. "Politics is full of big personalities, it's full of passionate people and politics is fuelled on disagreement, so if you want to have a really unified, cohesive team, you have to create space where people can disagree with each other and argue that out constructively." He pointed to his reported rift with colleague David Parker over tax: "I still regard him as a friend, and we still get on very well on a personal level ... you can disagree with someone without it becoming personal." Chris Hipkins says his first run at being prime minister has given him the experience to do better a second time round. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Like Luxon, Hipkins is aware of the importance of maintaining open dialogue with his potential coalition partners, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. "We are happy to continue to do that but we are separate parties, and ultimately we're each responsible for our own decisions." But that did not stop him criticising the prime minister, saying Luxon's reluctance to establish National's dominance in the coalition set him apart from predecessors like Helen Clark, Sir Bill English and Sir John Key. He pointed to Te Pāti Māori's recent priorities as a point of difference with Labour. "I think there are a lot of Māori women up and down the country who would like to have seen the Māori Party talking about the fact the government's cut their pay, rather than the song and dance around the privileges committee." Hipkins intends to make it clear in the lead-up to the next election what are "no-go zones" for Labour when it comes to any potential coalition partners or their policies. Peters this week "permanently" ruled out forming a coalition with Labour under Hipkins ' leadership. Hipkins said he ruled out working with NZ First and Winston Peters ahead of the last election and that was unlikely to change "even if the political landscape suggests that might mean another three years in opposition". "New Zealanders have had a gutsful of having David Seymour and Winston Peters holding the country to ransom, and I don't want to do anything that gives them more power to do that." As opposition leader, he said he had made a point of applying one basic rule. "I won't criticise the government for doing something that I would do in the same circumstances. "I've seen other leaders of the opposition do that, where basically they get into a mould where anything the government does is bad and therefore needs to be criticised." Winston Peters has ruled out forming a coalition with Labour under Hipkins' leadership. Photo: Facebook / Winston Peters The term's half-way point also signals a shift in parties' priorities as next year's election creeps closer. Hipkins told RNZ he wanted another shot as prime minister, arguing his first turn was not on his own terms, and rejected suggestions his track record could hurt his chances. He did not believe his time as prime minister or lead minister for the Covid response had tarnished his reputation, saying he felt most New Zealanders understood the conditions he was working under. "Actually, I think it would make me a better prime minister the second time around, because I've had eight months of figuring out the job, and I know what to expect, and therefore I know how to prepare for it." Luxon, meanwhile, said he would remain laser-focused on New Zealanders over the next 18 months and would not be distracted by so-called culture wars, which he says he does his best to avoid responding to when other political parties have pushed narratives around gender, diversity and inclusion. He said the New Zealand public was "over the platitudes". "They're over the high language, they're over the process stories, they're over the beltway conversations that often happen here in Wellington and other capitals around the world," he said. "They want their politicians to freakin' deliver, and that's what it's about ... that's what New Zealanders care about, that's the only thing they care about, outcomes." On Friday on deputy political editor Craig McCulloch sits down with David Seymour and Winston Peters. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
