Labour leader Chris Hipkins shook people's hands as he walked out of the theatre hand in hand with his fiancé Toni Grace. Photo: RNZ / Anneke Smith
Analysis - The Labour Party will be chuffed with how its party looks and feels after an energetic annual general meeting in Auckland this weekend.
Party faithful packed out the ASB Waterfront Theatre for what was a slick operation, rounded off by a rousing performance by singer/songwriter Annie Crummer.
Sitting in the crowd, it was hard to believe Labour had lost so badly in the 2023 election - there was whooping and hollering, countless standing ovations and at one point an enormous disco ball.
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins at the party's annual general meeting in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Anneke Smith
There is still roughly one year until the next election, but watching Labour leader Chris Hipkins walking out hand in hand with his fiancé Toni Grace definitely had the look of a campaign already underway.
Divisions on tax have seemingly been shelved for now, with most members RNZ spoke to pretty happy with the party's capital gains tax.
"I think for New Zealand it's about right," one man said.
"I think it's far enough at the moment, to take people with it," a woman said.
Labour is slowly building up its policy programme, adding low-interest loans for family GP practices to help deliver free GP visits at the weekend.
Singer/songwriter Annie Crummer performed for Labour Party members at their annual general meeting in Auckland this weekend. Photo: RNZ / Anneke Smith
Campaign chair Kieran McAnulty told RNZ the party's strategy for the 2026 election was simple.
"It's clear to us that the government isn't talking about the things that Kiwis care about most, and we're determined to make sure that we are.
"If we do that, and every time they hear from us, we're talking about a solution to the issues that they're facing. We've got a shot."
McAnulty said the solutions also had to be easy to understand, pointing to Labour's capital gains tax as an example.
"All the efforts from the National Party to scaremonger about what the capital gains tax is, actually isn't the case, and people know because it's so simple, because it's so straightforward, it's residential and commercial property, excluding the family home, and nothing else is included.
"There's a reason that their attacks have fallen flat, because they're baseless."
While the party was happy with how its tax policy had been received, it was not getting ahead of itself, McAnulty said.
"We're not getting too excited. We know that there's still a year to go. We know there's a hell of a lot of work still to do and we're focused on that.
"No one's getting ahead of themselves, and you can't take anything for granted. So it's great that polls are encouraging, but we're still going to crack on as we were."
The Labour Party has been polling well, tracking ahead of National on almost all issues, including the cost of living.
It has made hay with voter disillusionment with the coalition, with Hipkins taking every opportunity to trumpet the prospect of a one term National-led government.
"They don't deserve a second term. One term is all they are gonna get," he told a cheering crowd at the weekend.
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins at the party's annual general meeting in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Anneke Smith
Hipkins is trying to make history, asking the same electorate that booted him out two years ago to give him the top job again.
Asked what had changed between 2023 and now, he said the party had a fresh focus and fresh faces.
"We heard the message from voters at the last election as a government, we were trying to do too many things. We also weren't speaking to them about the issues that really mattered to them.
"So you've seen the Labour Party really refocus over the last two years, very much focused on the issues that are of number one concern to New Zealanders at the moment, jobs, health, homes, cost of living, and we'll have a different team too."
Labour has begun rolling out candidate announcements, putting up economist Craig Renney for Wellington Bays and emergency medicine doctor Gary Payinda for Whangārei.
McAnulty said there would be a "range of high profile candidates" announced in the new year, though he was tight-lipped as to who they were.
There is still a long way to go until voters get a chance to have their say on the next government, though it feels like the election campaign has already started.
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