Source: New Zealand Labour Party
The energy in this room shows exactly why I believe we are on track to make history and ensure this is New Zealand’s first one-term National Government.
Because after just 18 months in office, it’s clear: this Coalition is out of ideas, out of touch, and out of time.
New Zealanders were promised stability, leadership, and solutions. What they’ve had instead is broken promises, bad choices, division, and dysfunction.
And that’s why Labour is working tirelessly—to build the next government. One that’s stable, focused, and relentlessly committed to making things better for all New Zealanders.
Earlier this year, right here in Auckland, I set out the priorities of the next Labour Government.
It’s a simple and powerful vision: jobs, health, and homes.
We will deliver a fair economy with secure, well-paid jobs.
We will rebuild a health system New Zealanders can rely on.
And we will get back to building warm, affordable homes in thriving communities—backed by quality local schools.
In other words, we’ll go back to what matters—and push forward to what’s next.
We won’t govern by nostalgia or try to turn the clock back to some fictional golden age. The world is changing too fast for that.
New Zealanders don’t need fairy tales. They need leadership that looks forward, not backward.
We will tackle the big challenges head-on: climate change, child poverty, the disruption of artificial intelligence, and the rising cost of living.
Because that’s what real leadership looks like—facing the future with courage, honesty and determination. Not blaming, not dodging, not dividing—but bringing people together and moving the country forward.
This is what Labour stands for: a government that fights for you. Whoever you are.
Whether you’re a nurse in Palmerston North, a teacher in Ōtaki, a small business owner in Timaru, a cleaner in South Auckland, a builder in Rotorua, or a farmer in Wairoa—your contribution matters.
Whether you’re Māori, Pākehā, Pasifika, Asian or a new Kiwi, whether you’re young or old, gay, straight, transgender, wealthy or struggling—Labour sees you. Labour hears you. Labour is fighting for you.
Because we are the party of inclusion, unity and fairness. The current Government? They govern for a few—and it shows.
Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis keep telling us there’s “no alternative.” That the economy is in such a dire state, they can’t invest in the things that matter—like jobs, health, and homes.
But don’t be fooled. There are always choices.
And this Government is making the wrong ones.
They say there’s “no alternative” as they hand $3 billion in tax breaks to landlords.
“No alternative” as they pour hundreds of millions into tax cuts for tobacco companies.
“No alternative” as they pursue divisive, ideological vanity projects—like the Treaty Principles Bill and their culture war against gender identity and human rights.
But perhaps the clearest, most disturbing choice they’ve made is this: after a string of economic missteps and busted budgets, they’re now asking low-paid Kiwi women to pay for their mistakes.
Let’s be clear: National’s decision to change the law and wipe out all 33 existing pay equity claims isn’t just bad policy. It’s a disgrace.
They knew what they were doing. David Seymour even admitted it—saying the quiet part out loud. Scrapping equal pay, he said, “saved the Budget.”
That’s what this coalition stands for: balancing the books on the backs of the people who can least afford it.
There is only one C word we should’ve been focussing on in Parliament this week – and that’s cuts!
Women across this country—nurses, carers, educators, public servants—are being told their work isn’t worth what men are paid for the same contribution. That is unacceptable, and Labour will not stop fighting until pay equity is restored and respected.
The reality is this: after 18 months of this Coalition Government, New Zealanders have seen enough.
National has no plan for the future. No ideas. No hope.
Just slogans. Blame. And division.
But Labour? We do have a plan. A serious, credible, forward-looking plan—rooted in our values of fairness, decency and community.
We’re not just opposing this Government. We’re offering a better way forward.
- We will create jobs, not cut them.
- We will invest in health, not hollow it out.
- We will build homes, not flog them off.
- We will invest in education, not cut specialist teachers.
- We will protect our environment and build a future where children can breathe clean air and drink safe water.
And yes—we will make the tax system fairer.
Because New Zealand needs a tax system where everyone pays their fair share. Not to punish success—but to ensure that those who’ve done well contribute to the roads that connect them, the hospitals that care for them, and the schools that taught them.
You can’t build a strong economy on a weak society. And you can’t solve a cost-of-living crisis by making it worse for the people who already feel it most.
We want to build a country where:
- Our young people can stay and thrive.
- Our elders are treated with dignity and respect.
- No child goes hungry.
- Small businesses are supported, not strangled.
- Being a nurse, a teacher, a builder, or a farmer is a path to pride—not a path to burnout.
We want New Zealand to be the best place in the world to grow up and grow old. A place of opportunity, hope, and fairness.
We know the future won’t be easy. AI, automation, climate change—these are massive forces reshaping our world.
But these aren’t reasons to fear the future. They are reasons to shape it.
That’s why Labour will be a government of ideas and innovation. A government that sees what’s coming—and gets ready for it.
That’s why we’re doing the hard work now.
There are three things we’ve focused on since the last election—and they remain our focus today.
First, we’ve been an effective opposition. Every week in Parliament, we’ve held the Government to account. We’ve exposed the cuts, the backroom deals, and the broken promises.
Second, we’re developing new policies and ideas—solutions for the challenges of tomorrow, not just complaints about yesterday.
We’ll be rolling out some new policies in the second half of this year, and I want to thank every one of you who’s contributed ideas, shared feedback, and taken part in the regional conferences and last year’s Annual Conference.
This is the most collaborative and future-focused Labour opposition in a very long time.
And third, we’re rebuilding our movement. We’ve made enormous progress already—but the job isn’t done.
We need to keep going to where people are. Talking with them, not at them. Listening, not lecturing.
Because if the 2023 election taught us anything, it’s this: voters decide what matters. And if we’re not talking about the things they care about—then we’re not earning their trust.
We have a lot of work to do. There are tough conversations ahead. But we are Labour. We don’t shy away from the hard stuff—we get stuck in and do it together.
This next election will take all of us. Every volunteer. Every organiser. Every conversation on every doorstep.
Because we cannot afford another three years of this Government.
New Zealanders are better than what they’re being offered right now. We deserve a Government that believes in the people. That backs its communities. That builds a better future—not tears it down.
We are a country of workers and dreamers. Of doers and believers.
We are the country that gave women the vote, built a world-leading welfare state, and led the world in standing up for peace and nuclear disarmament.
We are a nation of fairness, decency and community.
And we believe the role of Government is not to sit on the sidelines—but to step up, to serve, to lead.
Labour will invest in the things that matter: jobs, health, and homes.
We will govern for all New Zealanders—not just the lucky few.
And with your help, we will win.
So let’s get out there. Let’s organise. Let’s mobilise. Let’s grow our movement and get New Zealand back on track.
We haven’t got a day to lose.
Let’s get to work.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
