Labour leader Chris Hipkins on the mood of voters and the campaign in general.
Video / Mark Mitchell
It was a chipper Chris “Chippy” Hipkins on the Labour leader’s local streets of Upper Hutt on Saturday after an incredibly tough week in the polls. His party is edging close to the danger zone and his main competitor appears far more energised in the first week of campaigning.
Itwould have been a welcome moment as jubilant supporters flocked to him and his Wellington-based MPs, including Ginny Andersen, Andrew Little and Ayesha Verrall, with at times near-constant requests for photos and selfies, amid numerous comments about the glorious spring weather.
It was, after all, deep in Labour territory - the Remutaka electorate gave Hipkins nearly 70 per cent of their vote in 2020, and nearly 60 per cent for the party.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins during his walkabout at the Upper Hutt Spring Festival. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Hipkins began at his local Cosmopolitan Club to watch the All Blacks succumb to France in the Rugby World Cup opener.
Hipkins, a self-confessed sports fan novice, took in the action alongside Labour MPs Kieran McAnulty and his Sports Minister Grant Robertson, who each marked the occasion with an early morning beer - Hipkins opted for his staple Coke Zero.
“We’ll match them in the final,” he told the Herald shortly after the final whistle secured the All Blacks’ worst defeat in World Cup history.
It was a warm and friendly atmosphere inside, full of mostly Labour supporters.
“That was nice to see some old friends,” Hipkins told media afterwards.
“What I’d say to the All Blacks is if you take a few knocks at the beginning of a tournament, there’s still a whole tournament to go.”
On the day’s other big sporting occasion, the night’s opening NRL finals game with the New Zealand Warriors taking on the Penrith Panthers, Hipkins said he would also be following it “closely”.
“I think they’ve [the Warriors] had a fantastic season.
“I think the whole country has got a bit of ‘Up the Wahs’ going on at the moment,” he added, referencing the team’s slogan that has swept the country.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins during his walkabout at the Upper Hutt Spring Festival. Photo / Mark Mitchell
After the game, Hipkins, his local MPs and dozens of supporters took to the Spring Festival in the Upper Hutt town centre.
It was also a stark contrast to the press conferences of the week just gone, when Hipkins was forced to answer for multiple instances of his MPs publishing misleading statements - and National and Act to bask in the moral high ground, despite a little “pot calling kettle black” behaviour - and some campaign outings in less-receptive territory.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins being swamped by supporters during a walkabout election campaign visit in Upper Hutt. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Hipkins even spun the raffle wheel, handing over a prize pack to an ecstatic constituent: all part of the Spring Festival.
“We really love what he is doing,” said Chris Venter, who recently moved to New Zealand with his young family from South Africa.
“We have felt really welcome since moving here, and feel the Government has been highly accommodating towards migrants.”
Sarah Brownie was beaming after getting a prized photo with her son and Hipkins.
“I just think he’s doing an amazing job, but I’ve always voted Labour.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins during his walkabout. Photo / Mark Mitchell
But while the festival atmosphere of support would have been a boost for Labour’s morale, some of those spoken to said the battle for the centre, with Hipkins turning his back on progressive policies like a wealth tax and with less focus on climate change, has seen them turning to the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
Natalie Duckett had recently returned to Upper Hutt from Melbourne with her partner after having a baby.
She’d always voted Labour but this time was thinking about the Greens.
“Labour is just not progressive enough at the moment. The future of the planet is really important, and I’m basing my vote on what’s good for other people, not just myself.”
She said Hipkins and National leader Christopher Luxon didn’t appear to be offering anything that would benefit New Zealand in the longer run, particularly the youth.
This shift in support is backed up by recent polls that have shown a boost for the two minor parties alongside Labour’s slide.
Hipkins said he was not concerned about this, indicating a vote for the other two was essentially a vote for the same potential government.
On the recent poor polls, Hipkins said they were just getting started on the campaign, with a trip to the South Island planned for most of next week before heading to Auckland.
“We’ve still got five weeks to go, no one’s voted yet.
“And we do know that there’s a heck of a lot of people out there who haven’t really tuned into politics and haven’t made up their minds yet.”
