December 1, 2025 • 6 mins
The Opposition leader discusses Labour’s policy priorities and rural healthcare plans. Plus, his recent engagement, and how he rates the Labour Party Conference.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're joined by the leader of the opposition, the Labor
Party here on the country, Chris Hipkins. Good afternoon, sir.
How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Yeah, great to talk to you, Hamish.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
How are you fighting? I'm in the mighty matter with
two today? Son is shining? What about you? Where are you?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm in Wellington today and there's a bit of sunshine here.
It's not as warm as it was in Auckland over
the weekend. Tho it was very warm and beautiful up
in Auckland over the weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yes, I've heard reports of it being pretty pretty damn
warm up in Auckland of Laton coming up earlier.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, the AGM and how do you sort of what
you give yourself a good solid mark out of ten
for that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, I think, you know, you never want to make
yourself too high, so I'd give it a good solid eight.
You know. The team's in good shape where we're looking
forward to the election campaign next year. We're seeing our
public support increasing, which is always a nice thing to see,
and we're going to go out there and we're going
to really campaign hard next year.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Do you think getting engaged in the you know, marriage
down the track has given you a bit of a
spring in your step because that's what it looked like.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Oh that's very cynical, very cynical, hemous, but you know,
it is a lovely thing. I feel very very lucky
at the moment, and it's been really nice. Actually, even
people who don't vote for us have been covering up
to me in the streets. I don't vote for you,
but it's really die congratulations. So that's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Well, that is cool, isn't it. Because at some point
in time, you know, we do lose sight of the
whole growing up thing, don't we when it comes to politics.
So yeah, look the policy in terms of roll out
and the doctors are loans to doctors. Of course, on
this show, the big thing will be getting rural doctors
because it's just so damn hard. Do you think that
that's going to help.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, that'll certainly help get more doctors into practices in
the areas where we don't have them, and we know
that rural communities are some of the ones who are
really struggling at the moment to be able to get
to a doctor. We've got more doctors starting to graduate
from our medical schools because we've increased the number of
trainee places, but takes a long time for them to
work their way through system, so they start to come
(02:01):
out of the med schools in the next couple of years.
And by giving them low interest loans so that they
can set up their own general practice or be able
to keep more of them here in New Zealand, and
that's going to be good for us overall. And if
we can get them into rural communities through targeted low
interest loans, I'll be very very happy.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
How many of our graduates do you know that just
shot off shore? And why do they do it so easily?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I haven't actually got those numbers. I mean, you only
ever have anecdotes in these things, but it does seem
to be quite a few of them head off overseas.
Some of them will come back, but increasingly they're not.
So it's always been the case, you know, particularly for
med school graduates. They want to go and see what
the rest of the world has to offer. And you know,
as long as they're planning to come back, that's not
a terrible thing for us because they get you know,
(02:44):
experience and working in bigger hospitals and dealing with different
diseases and all of that kind of stuff, But we
want them coming home to New Zealand and a low
interest loan might help to attract some of our gps
and our doctors are working around the world to come
home to New Zealand because it'll help them set up
their own business here.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Okay, what's the next sort of what is it ten
or eleven months hole in store for you?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Chris?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
What are you hoping it'll be? You know, are we
going to have eleven months of entertainment or what are
we going to see in the countdown to an election?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Our focus is the last election has actually been doing
a lot of solid policy work so that when we
announce things, we work through the detail, we know that
they're actually going to fix the problem that we've identified
and it was going to be deliverable. I think people
have had enough of politicians making promises that they then
don't keep on the campaign after the campaigns all over.
So I want to know that whatever I promise, I
(03:38):
can actually deliver on it. So for us, you know,
the next twelve months or however long it is might
be less than twelve months until the next election, is
going to be really focused on making sure that we've
got good ideas that are realistic and achievable to take
out onto the campaign trail.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Okay, realistic and achievable for farmers. What's an early Christmas present?
You know, give that there's no dispute who is the
backbone of the country currently.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, you know, we'll have some policies on the primary sector.
But I think probably the good news for farmers as
we head into Christmas that I do want to share.
And I've spent quite a lot of time visiting farms
talking to farmers over the last two years, and I
have been really impressed. I've seen amazing environmental protection that
I don't think farmers get credit for. I've actually had
some conversations with farmers who are really pragmatic and sensible
(04:29):
and kind of wants to work constructively with the government
to tackle things like climate change and our international obligations
there and issues around how we can continue to market
our stuff internationally with the clean green reputation that we've got,
and so I think there's a huge scope for us
to work together with the farming community. Are we going
to agree on everything, No, of course we're not, but
(04:50):
I think we can have a much better relationship with
the farming community in the future than perhaps we have
in the recent past.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Chris, I probably should know this, But are you a
meet Eata. Do you like lamb?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I do I like a bit of lamb, like particularly
like home killed beef. There's something about it. It just
tastes better than the stuff right you get at the supermarket.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Right because I've got yesterday, I attended a good friend
of mine who's going to be on the show later
the big Glengarry pold Horse at sale in Fielding and
one of the big buyers sends a lot of their
lamb direct up into Asian Malaysian parts of the world.
But I need a lamb recipe because I think you're
right about the beef and the home kill or wherever
you get your beef from. But the lamb, I think
(05:32):
is still such a massive untapped potential in terms of
just getting the taste bud thing right. How would you
recommend it?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I reckon lamb has got as best as a nice
roast lamb, but you don't want it to dry out,
so you've got to make sure it's still nice and moist.
You can't go past a roast lamb with a nice
home maintenance sauce.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Well there you go, right he Chris, thank you very
much for joining us. Much appreciate it. By the rest
of the day, go well on the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Thank you, goos go great to talk to you. How
mistake your mate
We're joined by the leader of the opposition, the Labor
Party here on the country, Chris Hipkins. Good afternoon, sir.
How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Yeah, great to talk to you, Hamish.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
How are you fighting? I'm in the mighty matter with
two today? Son is shining? What about you? Where are you?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm in Wellington today and there's a bit of sunshine here.
It's not as warm as it was in Auckland over
the weekend. Tho it was very warm and beautiful up
in Auckland over the weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yes, I've heard reports of it being pretty pretty damn
warm up in Auckland of Laton coming up earlier.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, the AGM and how do you sort of what
you give yourself a good solid mark out of ten
for that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, I think, you know, you never want to make
yourself too high, so I'd give it a good solid eight.
You know. The team's in good shape where we're looking
forward to the election campaign next year. We're seeing our
public support increasing, which is always a nice thing to see,
and we're going to go out there and we're going
to really campaign hard next year.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Do you think getting engaged in the you know, marriage
down the track has given you a bit of a
spring in your step because that's what it looked like.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Oh that's very cynical, very cynical, hemous, but you know,
it is a lovely thing. I feel very very lucky
at the moment, and it's been really nice. Actually, even
people who don't vote for us have been covering up
to me in the streets. I don't vote for you,
but it's really die congratulations. So that's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Well, that is cool, isn't it. Because at some point
in time, you know, we do lose sight of the
whole growing up thing, don't we when it comes to politics.
So yeah, look the policy in terms of roll out
and the doctors are loans to doctors. Of course, on
this show, the big thing will be getting rural doctors
because it's just so damn hard. Do you think that
that's going to help.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, that'll certainly help get more doctors into practices in
the areas where we don't have them, and we know
that rural communities are some of the ones who are
really struggling at the moment to be able to get
to a doctor. We've got more doctors starting to graduate
from our medical schools because we've increased the number of
trainee places, but takes a long time for them to
work their way through system, so they start to come
(02:01):
out of the med schools in the next couple of years.
And by giving them low interest loans so that they
can set up their own general practice or be able
to keep more of them here in New Zealand, and
that's going to be good for us overall. And if
we can get them into rural communities through targeted low
interest loans, I'll be very very happy.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
How many of our graduates do you know that just
shot off shore? And why do they do it so easily?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I haven't actually got those numbers. I mean, you only
ever have anecdotes in these things, but it does seem
to be quite a few of them head off overseas.
Some of them will come back, but increasingly they're not.
So it's always been the case, you know, particularly for
med school graduates. They want to go and see what
the rest of the world has to offer. And you know,
as long as they're planning to come back, that's not
a terrible thing for us because they get you know,
(02:44):
experience and working in bigger hospitals and dealing with different
diseases and all of that kind of stuff, But we
want them coming home to New Zealand and a low
interest loan might help to attract some of our gps
and our doctors are working around the world to come
home to New Zealand because it'll help them set up
their own business here.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Okay, what's the next sort of what is it ten
or eleven months hole in store for you?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Chris?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
What are you hoping it'll be? You know, are we
going to have eleven months of entertainment or what are
we going to see in the countdown to an election?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Our focus is the last election has actually been doing
a lot of solid policy work so that when we
announce things, we work through the detail, we know that
they're actually going to fix the problem that we've identified
and it was going to be deliverable. I think people
have had enough of politicians making promises that they then
don't keep on the campaign after the campaigns all over.
So I want to know that whatever I promise, I
(03:38):
can actually deliver on it. So for us, you know,
the next twelve months or however long it is might
be less than twelve months until the next election, is
going to be really focused on making sure that we've
got good ideas that are realistic and achievable to take
out onto the campaign trail.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Okay, realistic and achievable for farmers. What's an early Christmas present?
You know, give that there's no dispute who is the
backbone of the country currently.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, you know, we'll have some policies on the primary sector.
But I think probably the good news for farmers as
we head into Christmas that I do want to share.
And I've spent quite a lot of time visiting farms
talking to farmers over the last two years, and I
have been really impressed. I've seen amazing environmental protection that
I don't think farmers get credit for. I've actually had
some conversations with farmers who are really pragmatic and sensible
(04:29):
and kind of wants to work constructively with the government
to tackle things like climate change and our international obligations
there and issues around how we can continue to market
our stuff internationally with the clean green reputation that we've got,
and so I think there's a huge scope for us
to work together with the farming community. Are we going
to agree on everything, No, of course we're not, but
(04:50):
I think we can have a much better relationship with
the farming community in the future than perhaps we have
in the recent past.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Chris, I probably should know this, But are you a
meet Eata. Do you like lamb?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I do I like a bit of lamb, like particularly
like home killed beef. There's something about it. It just
tastes better than the stuff right you get at the supermarket.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Right because I've got yesterday, I attended a good friend
of mine who's going to be on the show later
the big Glengarry pold Horse at sale in Fielding and
one of the big buyers sends a lot of their
lamb direct up into Asian Malaysian parts of the world.
But I need a lamb recipe because I think you're
right about the beef and the home kill or wherever
you get your beef from. But the lamb, I think
(05:32):
is still such a massive untapped potential in terms of
just getting the taste bud thing right. How would you
recommend it?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I reckon lamb has got as best as a nice
roast lamb, but you don't want it to dry out,
so you've got to make sure it's still nice and moist.
You can't go past a roast lamb with a nice
home maintenance sauce.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Well there you go, right he Chris, thank you very
much for joining us. Much appreciate it. By the rest
of the day, go well on the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Thank you, goos go great to talk to you. How
mistake your mate
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