Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he’s comfortable being called a socialist, arguing New Zealand needs “a more active role for the state” to tackle what he sees as excessive profits by supermarkets, banks and energy companies.
Speaking to RNZ’s 30 with Guyon Espiner, Hipkins praised New York’s newly elected socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, saying his win reflected global frustration with capitalism. Hipkins said the “economic system isn’t working for ordinary people,” claiming decades of wealth concentration have left workers worse off and insecure.
He compared Mamdani’s campaign against monopolies to New Zealand’s supermarket duopoly, saying Labour will release new policies to increase competition. He also hinted at further action targeting banks and utilities, declaring that companies earning “very, very large profits” from “monopolistic behaviour” should be worried about a future Labour government.
While insisting he’s a “social democrat” rather than a hard-left ideologue, Hipkins said the labels overlap: “People who believe there is a more active role for the state? Yes, I do.” In practice, it means more government intervention, not less.
Editor’s note (Centrist): Hipkins’ rhetoric signals a shift further left, toward state interventionism, reminiscent of big-government thinking that drove up costs and debt in Labour’s last term. His promise to make “monopolies worry” may appeal to populist frustration, but how far will a socialist-leaning Labour-led government go in reshaping New Zealand’s economy?
Centrist Ltd.