On today's chart 11K views since yesterday

Hipkins says cost-of-living relief need not mean abandoning fiscal discipline

RNZ's John Campbell presses the Labour leader on spending ambitions and what happens if projected capital gains tax revenue falls short.

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RNZ Story of November 3, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of the most watched videos since yesterday, with 11,374 views.

'Rubbish!' Chris Hipkins rejects claims Labour's economic policies are too timid | Morning Report

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2:13Hipkins disputes opinion polls' predictive value, citing past discrepancies in Australia and New Zealand.
4:17He argues that responsible economic management must accompany cost-of-living relief.
5:18His examples include care-worker pay increases, public transport fare caps and cancelling fuel excise increases.
6:42Asked about a capital gains tax revenue shortfall, Hipkins emphasises working with Treasury forecasts.
8:02The title's "Rubbish" response comes as Hipkins defends Labour's record on surpluses and debt.

Can Labour promise meaningful cost-of-living relief while keeping a tight hold on the books? Chris Hipkins insists it can in a Morning Report interview that turns from campaign confidence to pointed questions about economic choices.

John Campbell challenges the Labour leader over whether his approach is too orthodox and cautious. Hipkins argues that responsible financial management belongs alongside help with everyday bills, rather than standing in its way.

He points to proposed care-worker pay increases, public transport fare caps and cancelling fuel excise increases as examples of Labour's approach. These are the practical measures behind his insistence that the party is offering more than careful accounting.

Campbell's sharper question concerns the money underpinning those promises: if forecast capital gains tax receipts disappoint, would Labour cut spending? Hipkins stresses that the party is working with Treasury forecasts. He later invokes Labour's record on surpluses and debt, rejecting the criticism with: "Rubbish. Absolute nonsense. And you know, Labour's track record is a very strong one."

The interview has drawn about 11,000 views in its first nine hours. It also captures Hipkins pushing back against the campaign's focus on opinion polls. He disputes their predictive value and argues that voters are moving towards Labour, while Campbell asks how the party could assemble a government given the Greens' polling strength.

Hipkins's answer is to ask for both votes for Labour, before finishing with a final campaign appeal and heading out by car.

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