Labour’s first in-person conference since 2020 delivered energy to the base and two cost-of-living policies. A new poll then delivered news of a widening gap between the right and left blocs, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday morning, sign up here.
Legacy loomed large
Sometimes it doesn’t rain but pours with political news. And sometimes it rains right on your parade. Labour’s conference and resulting announcements provided more than enough news and analysis, and then the Newshub-Reid Research poll dropped last night to dampen Labour’s post-conference spirits. To kick off, we have Toby Manhire’s analysis of the conference. Manhire writes that two former prime ministers stalked the halls of the conference in South Auckland. The legacy of Norman Kirk loomed large, while the short but chaotic tenure of Liz Truss was invoked by way of comparison with Christopher Luxon and National’s tax plans.
The opposition also loomed, no less than 18 times in Robertson’s speech
Newsroom’s Tim Murphy has a good write up on Grant Robertson’s speech which had 18 mentions of National and nine of Christopher Luxon. Murphy writes that it left the impression that the “prospect of a change of government, of Luxon and Nicola Willis and of ‘dangerous’ policy reversals “living rent-free” in Robertson’s head. Christopher Luxon grabbed that sentiment saying that while it was ”incredibly flattering that they’re fixating on me”, they should be “fixating on the New Zealand people”.
$189m investment in childcare announced at conference
For the New Zealand people, prime minister Jacinda Ardern made two announcements during her speech. From April next year, more than half of all families will qualify for subsidies on their children’s pre and after-school care. The $189m investment in childcare is aimed squarely at addressing the cost of living crisis. The Herald’s Claire Trevett (paywalled) called the policy solid and more politically astute than the cost of living payment. The second was an increase to the Working for Families tax credits which almost 60% of New Zealand families receive. Both Working for Families and childcare policies are currently under review, so there’s runway for more changes before the election.
Poll result puts National and Act nearly nine points ahead of Labour and the Greens
Christopher Luxon branded the policies “band-aid” economics which echoes National’s response to the Budget in May. Last night’s Newshub-Reid Research poll has National and ACT on 50.7% while Labour and the Greens are on 41.8%. If you look at Toby Manhire’s tracking of the 1News-Kantar/Colmar Brunton polling over the last five years, the last poll in September had the Labour/Green bloc on 43% and the National/Act bloc on 46%. For the party faithful, the conference will have delivered the necessary boost to gear up for a fight that Manurewa MP Arena Williams said they’d take on “bare knuckled”. Might be more than a few band-aids required before we get to the election next year.
