Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to apprenticeship boosts, the National parties housing u-turn, and his parents at the Labour Party’s Congress in Wellington. Video / New Zealand Labour Party / Claire Trevett
Opinion by Claire Trevett
Claire Trevett is the New Zealand Herald’s Political Editor, based at Parliament in Wellington.
If anyone is wondering why PM Chris Hipkins spent more time talking about National’s policies than Labour’s policies at Labour’s Congress, he only has himself to blame.
And Labour offered little else by way of a better story: a decent but not jaw-dropping speech by Hipkins, and a worthy but not new policy announcement that an apprenticeships scheme would become permanent. It ticks Labour’s jobs and training box, appreciated by both the businesses that use it and the apprentices: it has resulted in a good bump in apprenticeships and jobs. But not new.
It was unfortunate and avoidable to decide to have the Congress so soon after the Budget, which was the key reason Labour gave for the lack of big policy announcements. Instead, the conference was supposed to reflect the “bread and butter” fare Hipkins has set his tone as.
It was a lost opportunity – especially for Hipkins’ first outing as leader at a Labour conference. It led to the inevitable question: has Labour run out of ideas?
Any party that has been in government for nearly six years needs to show it still has some fresh ideas. They don’t even have to be big if they are interesting.
All it takes to change plain old bread and butter into the magic of fairy bread is a few sprinkles.
There was a promise that the policy sprinkles would come closer to the election. But an early showing of anything that indicated Labour had what it took to haul itself back into power would not have gone amiss.
However, the only sprinkles Hipkins served up at Labour’s conference were from the Mr Whippy van that its new candidate George Hampton (the co-owner of Mr Whippy) organised to turn up.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins with deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni after the PM's speech at the Labour Party Congress in Wellington. Photo / Claire Trevett
In terms of the news of the day, it became all about the housing announcement.
Labour clearly knew it – it was Housing Minister Megan Woods rather than one of Hipkins’ deputies who emerged with Hipkins after the speech to talk to media. Woods is also the campaign chair.
Woods (quite fairly) depicted it as a show of bad faith from National to pull out of the housing accord without a by-your-leave, since it was apparently National that approached the Government in the first place to sign up to it. She noted National’s Nicola Willis had even put up many of the provisions in it.
It should have come to no surprise to Labour. It was more a surprise that National had signed up for it in the first place. Ever since then, its MPs have copped it in the chops from their constituents, especially in the blue-ribbon seats. It was signed up for when Judith Collins was leader. Christopher Luxon was never a fan.
So now it leaves Labour in the pickle of deciding whether it wants to defend the policy on its own.
It remains unclear whether Hipkins has any appetite for doing that. He equivocated when asked if Labour would keep the policy in place as it was. Instead, Labour has opted to try to look constructive: writing to National (and releasing the letter for all to see) asking if they wish to negotiate further to try to give some certainty to developers and councils.
Labour won’t be totally disappointed – it gave Hipkins a chance to use his “can’t trust National” line, pointing to its backdown on a bipartisan issue.
As for the conference, that did what it was supposed to do, which was to give the party’s delegates (and volunteers) the energy and motivation they’d need for the campaign. Behind closed doors, the reminders on how to campaign were issued and new candidates coached. Billboard photos were taken.
Eyes were also on them to see whether they had adjusted to the departure of Jacinda Ardern and the switch to Hipkins. They knew what their job was and they did it well: they cheered through Hipkins’ laundry list of Government achievements and bellowed “shame” when he talked about the National Party. They said they found it “energising”.
They waved their “Hipkins” posters and clapped and stood as Hipkins went onto the stage and then off afterwards, to Elemeno P’s Baby Come On (not Hipkins’ choice).
The final words in that song are “don’t pull the plug on me” - which is any governing party’s fear with an election looming.
