That’s not too unlike National leader, and now Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon heading overseas in his first year as Leader of the Opposition to hear about policy ideas.
Hipkins, whose trip will be paid for by the taxpayer-funded leader’s fund, will attend the UK Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool. While there, he will take part in panel discussions and speaking events, Labour said.
“The UK Labour conference presents a great opportunity to meet with my British counterparts while also attending some of the hundreds of events and discussions that take place on the sidelines of the conference,” he said.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
He will also meet with members of think tanks, economists and writers in Liverpool and London. He will return to New Zealand on October 1.
“As the New Zealand Labour Party undertakes its policy-making process, this the perfect time to take stock of what is happening internationally and discuss our direction with other policymakers.”
Speaking at a press conference later, Hipkins said he was interested in AI policy.
“That is something the new Government over there are quite focused on and there is a lot of discussion around that... we have some common interests with the new Government over there around renewable energy and sustainability objectives.
“Then the broader debate around the economy. New Zealand and the UK, I think, similarly face this investment versus austerity political debate.”
The British Labour Government, which took power in July, has had a turbulent start to its term, having to respond to anti-immigration riots. It has also faced backlash for its decision to cut winter energy payments, which Hipkins said he was aware was a “controversial issue for them”.
He said the relationship between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was “very important’ and highlighted the free trade agreement between the two countries that came into force when Hipkins was Prime Minister.
“It will be an opportunity to follow up with the new Government to make sure that we continue momentum on that.”
Under Parliament’s Speaker’s Directions, the Leader of the Opposition can have the costs of their international travel and accommodation services funded up to a maximum of $150,000 a term.
Hipkins said he was attempting to keep costs down, and would stay in the spare room of a friend in London.
In 2022, Luxon visited London to discuss policy initiatives. A number of his meetings with ministers were scrapped, however, due to a mass resignation in protest of then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.
