Source: Radio New Zealand
Chris Hipkins’ State of the Nation speech read like a “lump of jelly” filled with sentiment, but no concrete plans, and that Chat GPT could have written it, says Nationals’ deputy leader.
Nicola Willis is calling for a contest of “actual ideas” with the Labour leader, because if the party does not come up with policy, “the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are ready to go”.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters also criticised Hipkins for one of the “most boring State of the Nation speeches in recorded history”, and ACT leader David Seymour called it “featherweight”.
Hipkins made the speech in Auckland today, taking aim at the government’s cost of living and climate policies. He did not announce any new policy, but repeated his promise that the public would see a “different” Labour to 2023.
Willis said she was more sorrowful than angry in response, hoping she would be able to debate a new policy idea from the Labour Party.
“Politics at its best is a contest of ideas about how we address the challenges our country is facing and how we move forward,” she said.
National deputy leader Nicola Willis RNZ / Mark Papalii
She expected an alternative set of ideas from the leader of the opposition who was “talking down New Zealand at every turn”.
“Instead, his speech read like a lump of jelly filled with platitudes and sentiment but no concrete plans.”
She referenced policy ideas from the Greens and Te Pāti Māori who had “laid out their plans”, saying “policy loves a vacuum”.
Willis said ahead of the 2023 election, National had presented the frame of an alternative tax approach, and a five-point “inflation busting plan”.
Taking a swipe at the media, she said Hipkins had not been “accountable at all” on his spending, borrowing or taxation plans, and he should be able to give New Zealanders a “broad indication”, rather than waiting for Budget 2026 to be released.
Going into the budget, he should have some clear parameters, she said, asking whether he thought debt should be higher and he wanted to collect more tax.
“Hipkins just doesn’t have any ideas. And you are all letting him get away with a really facile approach.”
Peters took to social media to criticise the speech as “boring”, calling the Labour leader Chris “softly” Hipkins, and saying he may as well have just sent out a press release.
“He couldn’t even fill a smoko room with a public meeting so had to tack on to a chamber of commerce hosted event.”
Peters said there was no new policy, no new plan and no new announcements. Similarly, he referenced the Greens and Te Pāti Māori suggesting Hipkins may be waiting for those parties to “fill the gaps.”
Hipkins talked about health, housing, and the economy Peters said, but New Zealanders don’t forget the “disaster” he delivered last time, including “debt, massive immigration, massive increases in crime.”
“Good luck to the mainstream media trying to dissect his ‘say-nothing’ speech,” finished Peters.
Seymour also weighed in, saying Hipkins’ speech was not lightweight, it was featherweight, and any politician could have read it out.
Seymour said Hipkins did not present any plan to pay for any promise, “underneath the smooth words there are no solutions, just new problems”.
“Hipkins’ examples of affordable policies included ‘free’ GP visits and a new Auckland harbour crossing without tolls on the existing bridge. But he can’t make the cost of those policies disappear. Someone has to pay, he just hopes Kiwis won’t ask who.”
He said the most glaring omission was how Labour would fund the “roughly $13bn hole created by its commitment to reverse the government’s pay equity changes”.
“We’re left wondering whether Hipkins plans to raise taxes, borrow more, or cut services elsewhere.
“Hipkins didn’t even mention crime, and not a word on Labour’s view of the Treaty and how to keep the country united.”
When Hipkins was asked why he did not announce any new policy, he told reporters he had restated Labour’s priorities, but said a lot can happen in six months and he didn’t want to make any promises he would have to change.
“I’m not saying that we won’t be making any promises before the election. We absolutely will, but it’ll be closer to the election once we know what we can deliver.”
He said it was responsible to wait and see what state the economy was in heading into the election.
“Remember, Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon said they were both going to bring down grocery prices. Now they’re saying the promises to bring down grocery prices would be irresponsible. Well, which is it? They actually promised to do that, and now they’re not delivering on it.”
He said a State of the Nation speech was about reflecting on “where we’re at now”, the challenges facing the country and the direction “we can go as a country”.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
