Chris Hipkins joins Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan in busy first day of media as Labour leader

Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins faces a huge week ahead, reshuffling his Cabinet and weighing up his Government’s priorities.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan, the new Labour leader said he hadn’t yet had time to reflect on or digest the news of his appointment.

Hipkins said his Government would be one “of continuity”.

He said Labour’s values had not changed, but the country’s circumstances had, so his Government would “evolve and adapt” to the changes.

“There are some things we’ve accumulated on our programme over the last five and a half years that aren’t a priority right now and that’s the work we’re doing at the moment.”

Hipkins declined to comment about whether Three Waters reforms would be axed.

Put to him by the Newstalk ZB host the policy needed to go, Hipkins replied “we’re not going to turn off people’s taps”, but declined to go into specifics on any possible changes.

“The issue we’ve got here is we’ve got a $130-$180 billion of investment required in the next 30 years in our water infrastructure across the country. If we don’t do any reform at all we’re talking potentially thousands of dollars a year extra on peoples’ rates.”

“We need to make sure…when people turn the taps on they can actually get healthy drinking water out of them and that costs money.”

He also rejected du Plessis-Allan’s suggestion Labour was on track to lose this year’s election, instead saying the government had gone through “a difficult year”.

“2022 was a very challenging year for New Zealand. I remember sitting there on election night in 2020 with all my colleagues celebrating the big win and thinking “Goodness me, there’s a bumpy road ahead for us’.”

Hipkins acknowledged inflation was high and was “hurting people, but it’s actually one the lower rates around the globe. But people want to know where we’re focused on those things,” he said.

Hipkins said Kiwi families were “feeling a pinch” at the moment and wanted to know the Government had their back.

“I think New Zealand is in good shape going into some pretty hefty global headwinds when it comes to the economy.

”New Zealand’s future is a very good one.”

He said his parents had a nervous reaction to the news he would be prime minister and were very supportive, even in regards to the “pressure political leaders are put under,” he said.

“It’s been a big week. I’m really proud and humbled about doing the job,” Hipkins said.

He said he was feeling energised and excited about what lay ahead.

Speaking about Hipkins’ now-infamous cap and sunglasses, he said, “you should see me when I’m in the garden. It’s a lot worse than that”.

‘We can do a lot in nine months, and we will’

Hipkins told the station this morning his immediate focus is on putting together his Cabinet.

Ahead of the October election, Hipkins said the Government will be focused on getting Kiwis through ‘tough economic times’.

”Nine months is a challenge, but we can do a lot in nine months, and we will,” he said.

”We’re doing everything we can to contribute to getting the inflationary situation under control and we’re supporting them through what is going to be a choppy six months or so, they want to know that we are supporting them through that.”

Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and incoming Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni during their press conference at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

He said the Government was only partly in control of inflation, while international factors also weighed on the situation.

He said ‘tough calls’ made during the Covid pandemic have had a flow-on effect to New Zealanders.

Hipkins said he had no concerns about keeping a Māori caucus, stating he had really good working relations with Māori MPs.

He would not delve into which policies would be put on hold.

”We haven’t made those decisions yet but we’ll be running the ruler over those over the next couple of weeks.”

Hipkins, Ardern discussed possible departure last year

The new Labour leader revealed today he had a conversation with Jacinda Ardern late last year about the possibility she would be departing from the top job.

In his first round of media interviews as the new Labour leader and incumbent Prime Minister this morning, Hipkins said the conversation happened shortly before the Christmas break.

“I knew she was considering if she had enough in the tank,” he told the AM Show.

“I’ve had an opportunity of the summer to take a break and I wanted to do that because I also knew that if I was going to be taking on a bigger challenge then I wanted to make sure I was coming back re-energised and refreshed.

“I wanted to make the most of that opportunity because I don’t know that there’ll be much more opportunity for that in the next nine months.”

Hipkins yesterday was unanimously voted in as leader of the Labour Party and the next Prime Minister, to be sworn in on Wednesday following Jacinda Ardern’s formal resignation.

Carmel Sepuloni became the first Pasifika person to be chosen as the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, replacing Grant Robertson who will retain the finance portfolio. Kelvin Davis will stay on as the Labour Party’s deputy leader.

Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast, he pointed out that New Zealand was in a very different position this time last year - still dealing with Covid restrictions, cases and the international border still closed.

“A lot has happened in a year and so there is a need for us, as a Government, to refocus and to make sure that we’re really focused on those bread and butter issues that New Zealanders are focused on at the moment.”

For many Kiwis, that was about their grocery, electricity bills and mortgage rates, Hipkins said.

“They want to know that the Government’s got their back.”