‘We can’t get carried away on polls’: Labour Deputy Leader responds following positive results

The Labour Party’s Deputy Leader says despite the ‘encouraging’ poll results this week, there’s still more work to be done to gain the trust and support of New Zealanders.

Her comments follow the recent 1NewsVerian poll which saw the Labour Party up by 2 per cent, 30 per cent overall while National dropped by 2 per cent and now at 36 per cent.

The poll indicated that National, ACT and NZ First would not win enough seats to get into Parliament if the election were held now.

Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni says the results are a reflection of the public’s disappointment in the government’s change in agenda.

“New Zealanders voted for change but this is certainly not the change that they expected.”

Sepuloni says amidst the government’s spending cuts and rising unemployment, young people, Māori and Pacific are first on the chopping block.

“I’m really concerned for what this means for our community.”

Most recently, the Financial Services Council has found that 70% of New Zealanders worry about money regularly, the highest it’s been in three years.

Sepuloni says despite the cost of living crisis being experienced globally, the government continues to support high income earners and landlords.

“Globally, we have experienced cost of living increases. And that’s had an impact on everything from what you buy at the supermarket to interest rates and mortgages.

“We’re not seeing anything from this government that’s actually going to alleviate it. What we’re seeing is 2.9 billion dollars that are going to landlords for tax breaks … It just makes no sense to me.”

As for the government’s recent efforts to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act which aims to protect Māori children in care, Sepuloni says the repeal needs to stop.

“She’s had no evidence to support that and yet she’s pushing ahead with this particular change to Oranga Tamariki that has no evidence base at all.

“If anyone knows what’s best for Māori children. Surely it is the Waitangi Tribunal and our Māori lawyers, advocates and community workers.

“Instead, we’ve got the ACT Party and a government that are pushing ahead with a change that has no evidence to support that it would work."

Watch the full interview below.