Chris Hipkins’ State Of The Nation Address

Speech – New Zealand Labour Party

Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa

It is a great pleasure to be here with you this morning.

I want to start by acknowledging Simon Bridges and all the members of the Auckland Chamber – thank you for hosting us here today.

 

Mayor Wayne Brown, union and business leaders, my deputy Carmel Sepuloni and all my Labour colleagues – thank you for taking the time to be here.

Today, I want to talk to you about the challenges and opportunities ahead and set out the priorities for a new Labour Government.

After 18 months of chaos and broken promises, we need a stable government that is relentlessly focused on making New Zealand better.

For everyone.

One that is driven forward by clear, focused objectives; that works with people and business, instead of talking them down.

A government that will put the politics of division aside and brings people together to do what’s right.

A government that goes to work every single day and fights for you.

That’s the government I will lead – and today I will tell you what it will be focused on.

***

Politics at its best changes lives. It’s why I got into it in the first place.

It lifts people up.

It unites hope and action to build the future we all want that works for all of us.

It doesn’t ignore the challenges we face, or blame someone else, and then at the last possible moment come up with half-baked solutions.

It focuses on real solutions; solutions that work, not empty slogans.

It reflects people’s hopes, not the mess and division currently resident in the Beehive.

If we’re going to make progress on the things we care about, the things that really affect people’s lives, then we need to be the antidote to that division.

Last year I was one of the tens of thousands of people who came together in a single voice to protect the promises woven into the fabric of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Toitū Te Tiriti Hikoi showed beyond doubt the pride we have in who we are.

That solving the challenges we face depends on us being able to listen to each other, see ourselves in each other, and find common ground.

Regardless of where we come from, what we look like, or what’s in our bank account, we all have the same worries; the same hopes for ourselves and our children, the same commitment to making this the best possible country it can be.

That common ground must be the foundation of our journey ahead.

***

One of the best parts of my job is travelling around the country meeting people from all walks of life.

It is a real privilege to be welcomed into their lives and to have the time to understand their hopes and concerns about the future.

Usually there are two stories they tell.

The first is a story of ambition.

The ambition they have for themselves, their kids, and their communities.

Whether it’s hearing about the successful local businesses serving their community despite a Prime Minister talking their efforts down.

Or the innovation and ingenuity happening all over the country.

The ideas and entrepreneurship that are creating new opportunities to make life better for all of us.

I see the teachers working tirelessly to give our kids the education they deserve.

The nurses going above and beyond to look after our loved ones.

The volunteers and community organisations restoring local native wildlife, and those making sure their neighbours don’t go hungry.

But I also hear people’s genuine and legitimate concern for what the future holds.

Far too many people are worried that their kids or their grandkids will be among the record numbers of people leaving New Zealand.

They’re concerned that once this Government has finished selling off our schools and hospitals to the highest bidder, there will be nothing left to pass on.

I hear about the people sitting around the kitchen table looking through the bills trying to make it all add up, wondering how they are going to plan for the future.

This is what the cost of living does. It makes it harder for us to focus on what’s ahead. It intrudes on the little things we love.

Taking the kids out for the day; a weekend trip to catch up with loved ones; picking up a Friday night treat in the supermarket, only to put it back on the shelf.

***

No matter how trivial and small politics seems sometimes, I know that the stakes for families and communities up and down New Zealand couldn’t be bigger.

Our schools and hospitals are run down and in desperate need of investment.

Our homes are unaffordable. The cost of everything – from keeping the house warm to the weekly groceries – is too high.

People’s chance of success is more closely tied to what they inherit than what they earn through their own hard work.

It would be easy for me to stand here and blame everything on National. But the reality is that some of the problems we face go back decades.

For too long, we’ve looked for quick fixes and easy answers, rather than dealing with the underlying problems.

This government is a case in point. Their choices have made our problems deeper, longer lasting and more painful.

Eighteen months has been more than enough time for Christopher Luxon to make clear to people why this government is in power and what it wants to do.

So, what does New Zealand have to show for it?

A country more divided than ever.

A recession. A recession made worse by the choice to cut jobs and prioritise tax cuts for landlords.

Cancelled ferries.

Too many kids going hungry at school.

I’m not going to do the whole list. I haven’t got time. But doesn’t it make clear where this government’s priorities are?

Ask yourself this: do I feel better off today than I did 18 months ago?

This government is turning New Zealand into a game only a few can afford to play. And the long-term costs will far outweigh the short-term benefits.

And what does that say about the so-called “tough choices” Christopher Luxon has made over the last year and half.

What about the choice to prioritise tax cuts for landlords ahead of supporting the thousands of people all over New Zealand who spend all day on their feet, struggling to earn enough to pay the bills.

Brave, committed, hardworking people teaching our kids, caring for our loved ones, running small businesses, cleaning our offices.

It just cannot be right that with every passing month, their lives get harder and harder, as those at the top amass ever greater wealth.

Some of you in the audience might be landlords yourself, and I can understand why. If you’ve got equity behind you, buying investment properties has been a good way to make money.

But I’d encourage you to all ask yourselves a pretty important question:

What’s more important, capturing a greater share of the nation’s limited residential property market, potentially shutting out future generations of first-home-buyers, or investing in and growing productive businesses that create good, well-paying jobs?

And what about the government’s choice to reopen oil and gas drilling instead of seizing the opportunity to lower people’s energy bills and create jobs by investing to upgrade our homes and businesses to run on clean energy.

Or their choice to cancel free prescriptions; to make it more expensive to catch the bus or train; to cut jobs.

Every government should be judged on the choices it makes – and in nearly every case, this government has chosen to make life harder for people.

*****

Eighteen months ago, I wasn’t expecting National to keep in place every one of the changes Labour had made.

But I think like most people, I did expect them to show some interest in doing what’s right for the country.

To acknowledge what was working and to continue to invest in the places where it would make the biggest difference.

While election campaigns highlight the things we disagree on, New Zealand’s recent history has seen new incoming governments build on the work of their predecessors, not try to turn the clock backwards.

Until this one.

Most New Zealanders understand that coalition government requires careful thought, compromise, and listening to those with whom you don’t always agree.

But they also expect, as I do too, that their government will reflect what people actually voted for.

By allowing ACT and New Zealand First to call the shots, Christopher Luxon has turned his back on the promises he made.

He is devoid of ideas; unfocussed; and too weak to confront the challenges we face today and set us up for tomorrow.

He has put style over substance.

Messing around on social media ahead over doing the job.

Talking points over ideas.

This type of small politics will no longer do. Not when our shared future is at stake.

***

Now, I am not going to stand here and ask you to give your support to the Labour Party just so we can put everything back in place – and start the merry-go-round again.

And I can assure you we aren’t going to spend our first year back in government pausing, cancelling, and reviewing everything.

Just because the current government started something we aren’t just going to stop it because it was their idea not ours. If it’s working, we will keep moving forward.

No more throwing the baby out with the bathwater just to make a political point.

Infrastructure projects will not be stopped dead or contracts ripped up as has happened under National

The current government’s decision pause or cancel new state house builds, school upgrades, hospital re-builds, transport projects and big infrastructure works contributed to a loss of over 13,000 jobs in building and construction right at a time when we need them most.

We will not repeat that mistake.

No more games.

No more broken promises.

No more gutting the things that help New Zealand grow.

Instead, I want to ask for your support for a new way of doing things.

An approach to government built on collaboration.

Where we work with people, with communities and businesses, experts and unions to achieve a clear set of shared goals.

A government that sets a direction and sees its role as creating the space for innovation and creativity.

Finding new ways of working together to meet the challenges we face.

We will lead a government of action. All of us, working together for change.

People action that changes their lives for the better – and the current Government is not strong or united enough to deliver it.

Labour has always led Governments of change – introducing Kiwisaver, the SuperFund, Kiwibank and the list goes on.

Those changes helped New Zealand grow and prosper and our next government will build on that.

Today, I am signaling that we intend to make changes in government that will put New Zealand on a solid, sustainable and sound footing for the future.

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When I look across the Tasman at why our young people might be attracted to Australia, I see an economy with high savings rates, large domestic pools of capital, Research and Development incentives and yes, a tax system that encourages investment in local businesses and new jobs, not just houses.

I see an economy that views growing wages and better working conditions as a sign of success, not a constraint.

I see a public sector that pays its doctors, nurses, teachers, police and other public servants more because it sees that as an investment, not ‘wasteful spending’.

You can expect the next Labour Government to move New Zealand in that same economic direction.

Our next Labour government will be focused on three goals. Each one targeted on the issues that matter most to people.

And it starts with an economy that works for everyone.

We’ll raise living standards and boost incomes across New Zealand, so people have more money to pay the bills, put food on the table, or buy new shoes and warm clothes for the kids.

We’ll support our innovators and entrepreneurs and remove barriers that make residential property investment more profitable than investing in Kiwi businesses.

We’ll embrace new technology and the opportunities of clean, renewable energy.

Lower power bills due to a rapid uptake of renewable energy, including exciting new opportunities in solar and geothermal, which can help Kiwi businesses lower their costs and get ahead of their international competitors.

New Zealand has a proven track record in innovation. Think foiling yachts, jet boats, electric fences, rockets, clever animation, humidified respiration and electromagnets. Science, innovation and creativity must help drive our economy forward and help create jobs, boost incomes, and lower costs for people.

We need to build an economy that ends the reliance on trickle-down and instead grows from the local community out.

Where an idea that starts around a kitchen table or in a garage can be turned into a new business.

Where prosperity is built from the contribution of every person, every community, every region.

I’m not interested in an economy where one part of the country races ahead of the rest. Nor will I accept growth that depends on jobs that are low paid and insecure.

I want the benefits of a prosperous, thriving economy to be felt on every farm, at every kitchen table, at every rugby club, at every family BBQ.

Meaningful, secure jobs in every part of the country that pay enough to cover life’s essentials, like good food and a warm home.

***

And when I say a warm home, I also mean one that is affordable to live in.

Which leads me to the second of our national goals: for everyone to have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home.

Labour will get New Zealand building again. More warm, dry, and affordable homes in the places people want to live.

We will work with local councils and communities, taking a long-term view of our housing requirements, so we can invest in land now and start building services families need, like schools, drinking water, and reliable roads and buses.

Opportunities for first time buyers in every community.

And for the one and a half million people who rent, we will support you to make your rented property a home, a place that is warm and safe, where you can put down roots and be part of the local community.

Because a home is the very foundation of our health and wellbeing.

But when it matters, I also want people to be able to access the quality healthcare they need.

Which is why the third goal is a quality public health care system where everyone has access to the care they need, when they need it.

Where prevention comes first and where care is closer to home.

We’ll end the postcode lottery so the quality of care you or your loved ones receive doesn’t depend on where you live.

And make it easier and quicker for people to see a doctor.

I want people to know that no matter what happens, they and their loved ones will be well looked after.

So, we will also make it a priority to ensure our nurses and healthcare workers are properly valued and paid what they deserve.

And support kaupapa Māori and Pasifika approaches to care so everyone is cared for equally.

***

This is our plan:

A fair economy with secure jobs that pay a decent wage, health care you can rely on, and a warm home you can afford and make your own with a great school down the road.

In short: jobs, health and homes.

We know that the government can’t do this alone. We’re going to need to work in partnership with people and businesses in communities up and down New Zealand.

Government setting the direction – but with every step of the journey taken together.

So, today, as well as setting out what a Labour-led government means for New Zealand, I am announcing the team who will take this work forward.

Labour will have a refreshed economic team led by Barbara Edmonds.

Barbara is well known to you all – she will keep doing her great work with an expanded Finance and Economy portfolio and the new Savings and Investment portfolio.

I’ve tasked Barbara with making sure we’re ready to balance the books, increase our savings, expand the opportunities we have to invest in ourselves, and create the economic conditions for all Kiwis to thrive.

As part of our work to build an economy that works for everyone, we will make good quality, meaningful, well-paid jobs getting Kiwis back to work a key focus, with Ginny Andersen taking on the new Jobs and Incomes portfolio.

Reuben Davidson joins the economic team, with Science, Innovation and Technology, alongside Broadcasting, Media and the Creative Economy.

Peeni Henare picks up Economic Development and Cushla Tangaere-Manual a new focus on the Māori Economy.

These MPs will work together, along with our team of energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and industry spokespeople on an economic plan that will put New Zealand on a solid, sustainable and sound footing for the future.

Simply inviting cash from offshore is not an economic strategy. Our own people need the tools to innovate, create and thrive and it will be a Labour Government that makes that happen.

An economy that delivers for all New Zealanders needs public investment. We’ve run down our infrastructure and sold off many of the public assets built up and passed down to us by previous generations.

I want our next government to be one of rebuilding.

Kieran McAnulty picks up the new portfolio of Public Investment and Infrastructure, alongside his existing work in Housing. Tangi Utikere will work alongside him in Transport and Local Government.

Ayesha Verrall keeps health. Willow Jean Prime moves into Education, and Willie Jackson Social Development.

I know that Auckland’s success will be New Zealand’s success. That’s why I’ve asked my deputy, Carmel Sepuloni, to take on the Auckland Issues portfolio and make it her major focus.

***

In the coming weeks and months, this new Labour Party team will be supporting me to deliver the goals I have set out today.

Meeting with communities, talking to experts, listening to businesses, and gathering ideas from Kiwis.

You can expect policy announcements from us this year, not in the weeks before election day.

Our policy packages will work with the three priorities I’ve announced today: jobs, health and homes.

We want to work with you as we finalise that policy, not just tell you how it’s going to be.

We do this because I know we all have the shared goal of building a better New Zealand, together.

A future where our kids see a good life for themselves in the places where they grew up, with great schools down the road, and surgeries and hospitals nearby where the doctor and nurses looking after you aren’t burnt out.

A future where nobody’s opportunities in life are limited by who they are, or where they are from.

A future where businesses – large and small – are supported to thrive and grow, creating well-paid jobs that cover the essentials and leave enough for people to enjoy the little things.

Where the decisions we make about how to confront climate change make life better for people, lower their bills, and create new opportunities for well-paid work in communities everywhere.

This is the future that is within reach.

Whether or not we make it happen, will depend entirely on the choices we make together.

So, let’s get to work.