January 27, 2023
Hipkin sidelines kindness for money talk
A University of Auckland professor of economic is picking a change of direction under new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
Mr Hipkins met yesterday with business leaders in Tamaki Makaurau.
Professor Robert MacCulloch says Jacinda Ardern tended to focus on non-economic issues, such as in her speech at Harvard University where she spoke on gun control, abortion, and online disinformation.
“Hipkins seems to be saying ‘I don’t want to get into all those issues, and many of them are controversial and they may even be vote losers, I just want to talk about economics and cost of living,’ so it seems to me he is going head to head with the Nats on the economy,” he says.
Professor MacCulloch says an increased focus on cost of living issues could benefit Maori, who are particularly affected by the rising cost of accommodation, petrol and interest rates.