Simon Bridges: Auckland Business Chamber boss on his meeting with new PM Chris Hipkins

New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins heads to Auckland today to woo business leaders after spending his first full day in the top job responding to the cost of living crisis.

Hipkins is due to attend a roundtable event hosted by the Auckland Business Chamber.

“I’ll be there to ask questions of them and to listen to them, in order to accelerate the important relationship that’s needed between business and government, in order to benefit all New Zealanders and to continue to grow our economy,” Hipkins said.

His Auckland charm offensive will bring him into contact with former National leader Simon Bridges.

Bridges, the Auckland Business Chamber CEO, said today’s meeting was good news.

“That in itself gives business some confidence. It’s a sense that this is where his priorities lie,” he told RNZ.

“I think he’s off to a good start, inasmuch as what he’s saying is he’s going to come back to the bread and butter issues.”

Bridges said the issues confronting Auckland businesses were around plans to curb inflation, getting more workers into the country - and concerns around law and order.

“I think it’s incredibly refreshing to see from a new PM that he gets it, that he gets it’s businesses that make an economy and actually allow governments to do the things that we all want them to do like fund better health, education, and law and order.”

Cost of living front of new PM’s mind

The cost of living crisis dominated Hipkins’ first press conference just hours after taking over the role from friend and longtime Labour colleague Jacinda Ardern.

Exactly what Hipkins has in store to tackle the rising cost of living remains to be seen, something National leader Christopher Luxon latched on to, saying that simply changing the leader was not going to make a difference.

Indeed Hipkins’ first appearance since being sworn in by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro as the country’s 41st Prime Minister came hot off the latest consumer price index showing inflation remained at 7.2 per cent - the same as the previous quarter - reflecting further pressure on household budgets across the country.

Kiro had earlier received the resignation of Ardern, officially handing over what Hipkins called the “baton of responsibility”.

The day started with emotional scenes as Ardern left the Beehive as Prime Minister for the last time, walking out to a crowd of her ministers, MPs and staff, sharing hugs and tears - Ardern, accompanied by fiance Clarke Gayford, even struggled to find her way to the car through the throng of people.

Jacinda Ardern and then-incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at Rātana Pa Marae on Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell

And like that after nearly six years of leadership marked through tragedy and crisis, with the mosque shootings, Whakaari and the Covid-19 pandemic, her tenure was over, making way for “my friend Chippy”, how Hipkins is affectionately known.

Hipkins too was emotional at Government House as he was sworn in, surrounded by family and colleagues, saying it was the “biggest responsibility of my life”.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins arriving for his first post-Cabinet press conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell

He also quipped afterwards “it feels pretty real now” - acknowledging just how rapidly he’d moved into the role after Ardern announced her resignation only a week ago.

The moment was clearly hugely significant also for Carmel Sepuloni, earlier shedding tears as Ardern departed before beaming as she became the first Deputy Prime Minister of Pacific heritage, with Samoan, Tongan and Pākehā roots.

Jacinda Ardern waves to the crowd one last time as Prime Minister of New Zealand. Photo / NZ Labour Party

In his first speech in the role Hipkins said “reprioritisation” of the Government’s work was the “absolute prio