Yesterday was a good day for Labour. Leader Chris Hipkins started talking about what the party stood for and what its values are.
Instead of focus group tested micro policies for the middle he went back to basics. And in the process ruled out coalition with New Zealand First.
From Radio New Zealand:
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has ruled out New Zealand First as a possible coalition partner after this year’s election, saying Winston Peters and his party would cause “instability and chaos”.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins confirmed the decision at a media conference today.
“New Zealand First has become a party more interested in toilets than the issues that matter most to New Zealanders,” said Hipkins.
Labour could work with the Green Party and with Te Pāti Māori, Hipkins said.
New Zealand First had already ruled out working with Labour.
Hipkins said the rhetoric he was hearing from Peters this election “means I just don’t see any compatibility with my vision for an inclusive, progressive and prosperous society”.
“Winston Peters and NZ First are a force for instability and chaos and that’s the last thing New Zealand needs at the moment.”
He described a National Party, ACT and NZ First coalition as one of “cuts, chaos and confusion” that holds views he thought would alienate large sections of New Zealand society – not just economically, but people’s sense of belonging.
Peters was “seeking to make trans people the enemy in this campaign”, Hipkins said.
“Living fully in your own skin isn’t always easy for any of us at the best of times but it can be particularly hard for our rainbow communities. None of them deserve the kind of abuse that’s been directed their way, stoked up by politicians who should know better.
“I have news for all those who try to divide us and take us backwards – you will ultimately fail, because Kiwis have always regarded unity as more important than division.”
Hipkins said he would continue to defend “a women’s right to choose” and said many National MPs and candidates wanted to roll back women’s rights.
“Members of their caucus celebrated the US Supreme Court decision to roll back a women’s right to choose.”
He said he backed initiatives like the Māori Health Authority and described David Seymour’s comments about the Pacific community as “chilling”.
Seymour had said the comments were a joke, Hipkins said: “I don’t think it’s a laughing matter.”
Hipkins said he had considered which party’s values and policies aligned with his own and those of the Labour Party.
“Kiwis deserve to know who they’re voting for, what their bottom lines are and what kind of government they could get after the election.”
Christopher Luxon’s response showed how deficient his leadership skills are. First of all he refused to comment on the possibility of a National-NZ First coalition saying it was a hypothetical given NZ First is not in Parliament or consistently polling above the five percent threshold.
About Hipkins’ speech Luxon said that he was “incredibly sad that Chris Hipkins has decided to go so personal and so negative”.
For as long as I can recall Luxon has been personal and negative and denigrated Labour over every possible real or imagined deficiency. Remember his describing New Zealand as a negative, wet, whiny, inward looking country that’s lost the plot?
But it is good to see some passion injected into the campaign by Labour. And for Hipkins to start clearly setting out what is at stake this election.
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