The two major parties kicked off their campaigns in Auckland on Sunday. Joel MacManus reports that both were headlined by Chrises, both incited chanting, but only one used the word ‘bullshit’. 

National and Labour officially launched their election campaigns one after another on Sunday afternoon – though, at first glance, neither event looked like a political rally.

National held its launch at the newfangled New Zealand International Convention Center, which was also hosting an anime and manga convention. The ground floor was swarming with zoomers in eccentric wigs and costumes. Labour’s venue, the Due Drop Events Centre was surrounded by people dressed in white who were there for a cross-denomination church service in the main theatre. 

National drew a crowd of around a thousand people, though the large venue meant several hundred seats were left empty. Labour’s smaller theatre had capacity of 690 seats but it was full to the brim and far more boisterous. 

The National event opened with several senior party figures saying “no new taxes” several times and insisting that they were absolutely 100% behind Christopher Luxon. Simeon Brown taught the crowd how to chant the catch phrase, also trying the wordier “you can’t trust Labour on tax”, but that one came out garbled. 

Nicola Willis described the previous Labour government’s Covid-era fiscal policy as “a big spending party that left us with a hangover” (perhaps a wink and nod to those who attended the National Party’s 90th anniversary celebrations the previous night) and called the opposition a “potpourri of half-baked socialists” (a delightful phrase). She tried to get the crowd to chant “party vote National” but Simeon hadn’t taught them that one. 

John Key described Luxon as “resolute, dedicated, unwavering, does not blink” and a few other synonyms. He urged against strategic voting promoted by Harry Mowbray and other right-wing figures, which suggests that National supporters should vote for National electoral candidates and give their party vote to Act or NZ First in order to exploit an overhang. “That is the opposite of clever,” Key said. “It means some of National’s most talented ministers would be replaced by someone you have never heard of from a minor party.”

Labour’s event began with Kingi Kiriona, candidate for Hauraki-Waikato, giving a mihi and leading a singalong of Tūtira mai ngā iwi. The Pacific Youth Choir sang a belting, soulful set which included Mt Raskil Preservation Society’s ‘Bathe in the River’ and Stan Walker’s ‘Aotearoa’. The first few rows were on their feet for most of it, though the stands stayed seated despite several earnest attempts.

The crowd was so hyped up that when Carmel Sepuloni and her co-MC asked the crowd to do a call and response of “when I say Chris, you say Hipkins”, it actually worked. 

When it came time for the main speech, Luxon opted to enter from the side-back of the room so he could shake hands with everyone. He had perhaps miscalculated just how long the walk was. By the time he reached the centre aisle, the whooping Young Nats had mostly run out of puff and the rest of the crowd was doing a polite golf clap. The DJ covered up the lack of atmosphere with a booming Imagine Dragons-esque beat. 

Hipkins emerged from the centre-back of the stage to the sound of a generic upbeat pop rock tune; the kind that Shaun Mendez might sing over in a Ford Ranger commercial. 

Luxon began his speech by declaring his love for the various interest groups within the National Party and for his senior MPs. He commended each of them for having the “guts” to enact their various reforms. His voice wavered as he spoke about his mother Kathleen. When he started university, she enrolled alongside him. “She taught me to walk across the room and find someone different from me,” he said. (It’s unclear what kind of university parties Luxon and his mum were attending). 

Hipkins skipped the outreach and cracked right into the election pitch. He listed stats about the rising cost of living and attacking Luxon for his recent “cry me a river” gaffe. “It made me so angry and it still does,” Hipkins said. He accused National of lying about his party’s tax policy – he used the word “bullshit”, the crowd cheered, and a cheeky smile crept onto his face as if he’d just discovered swearing. 

Luxon, similarly, listed statistics about how bad things were back in 2023 when “Labour lost the plot” and said they still couldn’t be trusted. He criticised Labour for a lack of policies. “It’s extraordinary how little the Labour Party has to offer this election,” he said. “Chris Hipkins says he’s just warming up. Well I’ve got one simple message, son: you’d better start now.” (The decision to refer to the leader of the opposition as his son seems to have been adlib as the word doesn’t appear on the transcript that was distributed to reporters). 

Hipkins used his speech to announce a policy to write off 10% of eligible student loan balances for New Zealand-based graduates. Luxon announced a new pledge card which National would be distributing to voters’ homes. 

Luxon closed his speech with a chorus of “no new taxes” and embraced his fellow MPs. The Labour fans chanted “Labour, Labour, Labour” as the candidates danced their way out through the crowd to the beat of island drums.

If you’re measuring by enthusiasm in the room, Labour was the clear winner. National supporters are determined, but nowhere near as enthusiastic as they were three years ago. The party is carrying fractures that haven’t quite healed. The Labour faithful, meanwhile, look refreshed. The party’s poll numbers may not have moved much since 2023, but the vibe has.