Face of the Day

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins had a fine rant on Sunday.

The shape of Labour’s campaign, and ruling out NZ First, is clearly a Hipkins view of the world, with the party’s caucus only consulted on Sunday morning just ahead of his speech.

With 20 or more MPs currently steering [sic] down the barrel of being turfed out of Parliament they’re relying on Hipkins steadying the ship and saving some of them after a disastrous 1News-Verian poll last week.

If this doesn’t work, the divisiveness he blames other parties for inflaming might start seeping into his own caucus.

Newsroom

The speech itself is full of soundbites that leave the listener wondering if Hipkins is living in the same country as the rest of us, is willfully blind or hoping no one else can see what’s under their noses.

“I will not be seeking to divide New Zealand communities.”

When discussing his party, coalitions and Kiwis, he says: “At our core, we share common aspirations: a good job, a home, quality education for our kids, good healthcare when we’re sick, secure community…”

If that’s what they stand for, then why have these metrics deteriorated over the last six years?

And the best soundbite? We [the Labour Party] “combat discrimination”.

Watch the full speech here (the transcript beneath the video is not verbatim). Discuss it on the BFD.