Chris Hipkins: Labour leader on the new RNZ-Reid Research poll showing more people blaming the current Govt for the state of the economy

Chris Hipkins says Kiwis are starting to see things are going backwards under the current Government. 

The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll reveals more voters blame the coalition for the struggling economy, than the previous Labour Government.

This is despite senior Cabinet Ministers claiming a financial mess was left behind by Labour.

Hipkins says Labour will set out ways it could improve the economy, but right now the ball's in the Government's court.

"We've got to get New Zealand investing in productive businesses, rather than just relying on the housing market going up in value in order to grow our economy." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It turns out more voters blame this government than Justinder's
government for the state of the economy. According to the
latest R and Z Reid Research poll, thirty eight percent
of voters blame the coalition government, thirty one percent of
voters blame the previous labor government, and twenty four percent
of voters blame both. Chris Hopkins is the labor leader.
Hid chippie get a jeez. People have short memories for
what you people did to the economy.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Ah ah, here they drop your National Party spin. I
think New Zealanders can see that things are going backwards
under this government. They came in. They said they were
going to fix the cost of living. They're making it worse.
They said they were going to get people into work.
Unemployments going up. They said they were going to grow
the economy. Economic growth is stalled, and in fact evidence
suggests it's going backwards. People can see that things are

(00:43):
getting worse rather than better. As government.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Okay, what's your plan to fix it?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Well, we're going to have to take some long term
make some long term decisions as a country. We've got
to get New Zealand investing in productive businesses rather than
just relying on the housing market going up in value
in order to grow our economy. We've also got to
make sure that we're not just relying on population growth
to grow our economy. We actually have to.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
Productivity, which we already know. But what I you You
haven't got any plans yet.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Have you. We're going to set out well, we'll set
out a few things before the end of the year
about how we will do things differently. But right now
the ball is in the government's court. They are the
ones who are governing the country on a daily basis
and making things worse.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Is your plan, including your CGT, Are you finally going
to get that off your chest?

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Well, well, I've said that we'll set out of text
policy before the end of the year and we will
definitely do that.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Okay, good, Now, what is going on with the Maori Party?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
I'm not entirely sure. I think that you know, Taku
to Verus's comments last week and John Timmyheady's comments today,
really the visit there unhelpful and you know, I absolutely
don't think there's any place for them in political debate
in New Zealand. You know, we should be focused on
bringing the country together on fine in ground where people

(02:01):
can come together in a spirit of unity. And I
just think that the Marti Party's comments, you know, mostly
tarkuter Ferus' comments, but also are the ones John Tamaheady
made today are incompatible with that?

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah? So is there internal disagreement going on? Given that
Debbie has apologized to you, but then tarcuter won't take
it down, and then John John talmahead has backed him up.
Is there is there a breakdown between them?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
That's really a question for the Mardi Party. I take
Debi at her word. Well, when I spoke to Debbie
Nardi were paka, she said that they didn't reflect the
views that tarkuter Ferus' comments did not. She played the
Mardi Party and well, I took it to be very genuine.
I've found her and my communications with her previously to
be very genuine, and I have no reason to doubt.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
That because it's one of the two, isn't it, Chippy?
It's either that she is playing you or there is
a breakdown between her and John Talmahetty, which is reasonably significant.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, that's really a question for them rather than for me.
I mean, I accepted Debi Nadi were Packer's last week
that you know that didn't reflect her party's view. John
Tammahitty's comments this morning aren't particularly helpful in that regard.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
No, look, I know that it is a question for her,
but she doesn't that none of them speak to the
mainstream media. So what can we do about that? The
problem for you that I fullesee is that if you
were to form a government with them, which you would
need to do on current numbers, you can't just take
this kind of hands off approach right If they start
acting up like this, you're going to be the prime
minister who has to explain what you're going to do
about it. What can you actually do about it? If
Takuta doesn't even listen to his leader, he's not going

(03:28):
to listen to you.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
I'm encouraged by where Labour's out at the polls now.
We're doing much better than we were hit the last election, clearly.
But my goal between now and this time next year
when we're heading into the next election is to grow
Labour's support significantly more.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
Are you trying to say to you so you don't
need the Malori Party?

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, in an ideal world, you know we'd get a
labor majority. We don't live in an ideal world. That's
highly unlikely on MP we'd need to work with other parties.
But if we can get Labour's support up to the
point where we can where we have other options, that
would be much much better. It's my goal is to
try and get labor support as high as I can.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
All right, should be good luck with that. Chris Hopkins,
Labor Party Leader.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
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