After first acknowledging the terror attacks on Israel, Chris Hipkins removed his prime ministerial hat and put on his bright red Labour leader one.
Fronting for reporters, Hipkins said there was “energy and momentum” from his party going into the final week of the campaign and took aim at National for “threatening New Zealand with another election”.
It comes after comments by the National Party warning of the “real possibility” it wouldn’t be able to reach an agreement with Winston Peters and New Zealand First, which could potentially force a return to the polls.
Hipkins said National’s campaign was starting to fall apart and the party wouldn’t be able to “cope” with the pressure of actually being in government.
“I don’t think that New Zealand needs another election,” said Hipkins, though doubling down on his commitment not to work with NZ First, even if it was the only option to prevent a second election.
“New Zealand First is not a recipe for stable government,” he said. “The fact that Christopher Luxon has breathed life into the New Zealand First campaign is a question for him.”
Meanwhile, in echoes of 2008, there’s now a secondary campaign running between former prime ministers John Key and Helen Clark. Earlier in the week, a video of Key was shared on National social media platforms in an effort to motivate voters not to back New Zealand First. Today, Labour has shared a video of Clark.
Hipkins wouldn’t say whether or not other prime ministers – notably Jacinda Ardern – would appear in any campaign videos ahead of October 14.