7th November 2025
Business Lunch –
National Hockey Stadium
On a day when the North Shore turned on the spring sunshine, BNH general manager, Kevin O’Leary, welcomed more than 120 guests, keen to hear how Labour proposes to tackle some of the most significant challenges faced by both businesses and individuals.
The Rt Hon Chris “Chippy” Hipkins began by acknowledging that, for everyone in the room, whether in the corporate or community sector, it had been – and continues to be – a very tough couple of years. He highlighted several key factors, including declining economic growth, increasing unemployment, and high grocery prices. He also raised concerns about the record numbers of Kiwis leaving the country permanently – approximately 200 every day.
As Mr Hipkins turned his attention to how Labour would address these serious issues, a key philosophy became clear: prevention is better than cure. In other words, short-term challenges can only be dealt with by addressing underlying longer-term issues.
He does feel there is reason to be optimistic about New Zealand’s future, “if we make good decisions now,” which is why Labour has started to outline how its government would do things differently from the current one. Amongst the topics he discussed were:
· Assistance for small, innovative businesses in the likes of high-tech, fintech, environmental technology, and materials technology
· The country’s abundance of renewable energy
· Sustainable food production
· NZ’s internationally renowned creative sector
· Wanting to tackle the stop-start cycle frequently associated with infrastructure projects
He also ran through Labour’s top four priorities: jobs, health, homes, and the cost of living. ” Why those things? Because they’re the fundamental foundation of a good life for all New Zealanders. If you have a good, well-paid job, then so much more is in your control. If you have a place to call home and a place where you are secure, where you can put down roots and be part of a community, that’s a big part of what being a Kiwi is all about. If you have access to the healthcare you need when you need it, you can fully participate in work and in the community, and that is a good thing for you and for your family.
“People who play by the rules and work hard should be able to create a good life for themselves.” He also gave more details of Labour’s proposals for a Future Fund and how a targeted Capital Gains Tax could fund GP appointments – and the potential benefits of doing so.
For the subsequent Q&A, Mr Hipkins was joined by Labour’s deputy leader, Carmel Sepuloni, and list MP, Shanan Halbert, who is based on the North Shore. The questions were varied, covering health, education, support for non-profits, transportation, the creative sector, homelessness on the North Shore, the cost of living, innovation within sustainable food production, and AI (its potential and a few of the ethical questions).
The audience gratefully acknowledged the speakers’ time and insights with an appreciative round of applause. Kevin O’Leary also offered his thanks, presenting Mr Hipkins and Ms Sepuloni with chocolate bouquets from Edible Blooms.
