Election 2023: Labour, National leaders front media following clashes over attack ads, Govt spending

Labour and National continue to trade verbal blows on the campaign trail over claims of dirty politics and attack advertising following a controversial advert taking aim at the leader of the National Party.

Chris Hipkins is celebrating his 45th birthday today on the hustings in his native Hutt Valley.

Speaking to reporters, he said his birthday has been pleasant so far: “The kids sang to me, I got a cake and I got to be interviewed by Mike Hosking - everyone’s dream on their birthday.”

Earlier today, Hipkins and Police Minister Ginny Andersen visited Arakura School in Wainuiomata to discuss the free school lunch in schools initiative.

The students and staff celebrated Hipkins’ birthday by presenting him with a cake and singing a song.

“Can you guess what I wished for?” he joked as he blew out the candles.

Asked about National’s proposal to cut Kāinga Ora, Hipkins said it was “the National Party reverting to type”.

”When they were last in government they turned Housing NZ into a real estate agent’s dream and sold state houses.”

Hipkins said Labour has worked hard to build homes and now National wants to “gut” the agency which has assisted in building them.

Meanwhile Luxon was at the Basin Reserve today, where he announced plans to fast track a second Mt Victoria tunnel.

“As we well know in Wellington, this is also a major chokepoint for traffic,” Luxon told media.

He said they would classify the building of another tunnel as a major infrastructure project, meaning they would be able to get the consenting and construction “up and running before the end of our first term”.

“We’re pretty excited about that because we know that will make a big difference to the daily lives of Wellingtonians,” he said.

National leader Christopher Luxon, flanked by finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis and Transport spokesman Chris Bishop, announcing a National-led government will build a second Mt Victoria tunnel in its first term, during their standup at the Basin Reserve. Photo / Mark Mitchell

War of words over attack advertising

Today’s campaigning comes as the two parties have been sparring in recent days over attack ads and financial policies.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Opposition leader Christopher Luxon were at loggerheads over an attack ad on the front page of the NZ Herald.

The ad, placed by the Council of Trade Unions, said “Christopher Luxon: Out of touch. Too much risk” - with a black and white photo of Luxon scowling.

National said the move showed Labour diving into the “most negative campaign in history”.

“The Labour-aligned Council of Trade Unions has launched nasty American-style attack ads on National to help their mate Chris Hipkins and his increasingly-desperate Labour Party,” said National’s campaign chair Chris Bishop.

“‘Be kind’ has truly become ‘be nasty’ under Chris Hipkins and his union elite buddies.”

However, Hipkins hit back this morning, telling TVNZ’s Breakfast it was “a little bit rich” for National to cry foul, given they had been attacking him and Labour since the day he took on the job as Prime Minister.

Hipkins said whether the ad was too personal was a question for the CTU.

“I didn’t approve the ad, they make those decisions for themselves.”

Meanwhile, insults were flying in the first major multi-party finance debate today when National’s finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis lambasted Labour’s Grant Robertson for breaking promises to rein in spending.

Willis said Labour had spent more in every single Budget than they had promised in the 2020 election, referencing the party’s 2020 fiscal plan and a Treasury warning about the extent to which Labour spent more in its budgets than it signalled.

“On average this Labour Government spends $600 million more than it says it will just six months prior.

“You have broken your promises in the past and I see you will do it again.”

At the debate, Robertson accused Willis of being a professor of “hindsight economics”.

“During the period of time, where we did borrow significantly? To get through Covid, virtually all political parties were saying that’s what you needed to do.”