Labour leader Chris Hipkins is strenuously denying allegations levelled at him by his former wife Jade Paul, tearing up at a press conference on Tuesday during which he made clear his desire not to bring what he sees as personal issues into the public domain.
On specific allegations, Hipkins repeatedly said he was not “going to litigate the details of any of those things publicly”, viewing it as not in “anyone’s best interest to do that”.
Immediately after the press conference, Paul told the Herald: “I 100% stand by everything I have said”.
After Paul published a since-deleted Facebook post on Sunday containing the allegations, which do not suggest Hipkins was engaging in any unlawful activity, the Labour leader issued a statement saying he rejected the claims “entirely” and didn’t intend to make any further comment.
That changed on Tuesday when Hipkins returned to New Zealand from Australia, where he was on holiday when Paul made her post.
Facing questions from reporters waiting at Wellington International Airport, he said he’d hold a media stand-up to comment on the allegations.
At that press conference, Hipkins said throughout his time in politics he had “made a very conscious effort to keep my private life private, and to keep my family out of the spotlight, particularly my children”.
“You won’t find photos of my kids anywhere on social media. You won’t find me talking about them, beyond generic references to being a parent, anywhere in public,” said Hipkins.
He said he rejected the allegations Paul made and “the characterisation of those events”.
“I don’t intend to get into a backwards and forwards on those. I don’t think that would be the best thing for anybody involved, but particularly not for my children.”
Asked what his message was for New Zealanders aware of the allegations, Hipkins responded that he was “putting the best interest of my children first”.
“Marriage break-ups are very difficult. Everybody who’s been through that understands that marriage break-ups are very difficult. There are always going to be disagreements. There are always going to be things that you regret when your relationships break up. A public forum like this is not the way to litigate those.”
While he said he denied the claims, Hipkins wouldn’t speak to each specific allegation, repeating that he didn’t wish to bring personal matters into a public forum.
The Labour leader said he hadn’t sought any legal advice about Paul’s post, but had sought advice “about the potential publication of allegations against me that are untrue”.
He wasn’t sure what had prompted Paul to make the allegations at this specific time.
In a Facebook post on Monday night, Paul said she had “had enough”.
“So many women are hurt by high profile men who just do what they want with no consequences. We get told all of the time that if we speak out then our lives will be ruined, our kids will be impacted,” Paul said.
“We get labelled as ‘crazy’ or defamatory when we tell the truth. Today I have had enough.”
Asked about the welfare of his children, he said they were currently with Paul “so I don’t know”, breaking into tears. Hipkins said he had not spoken with his former partner, who is currently overseas, since she made the allegations.
Hipkins hoped this issue wouldn’t affect Labour’s electoral prospects and said he had not considered standing down as leader.
“I have had a lot of lovely messages of support from Labour MPs,” he said.
Hipkins has two children with Paul. The pair were together for years before marrying in 2020 in a ceremony at Premier House.