Labour conference: Good energy but is it enough to ignite voters?

We will be discussing the Labour Party's conference in Christchurch at the weekend. And how would I summarise it? I guess I would say, "Meh."

Now, don't get me wrong. The energy in the room was palpable, and all the speeches were great.

Chris Hipkins made a pretty bold statement and made it clear at the conference that "we're going to make the first one-term national government in New Zealand's history".

A bold vision full of energy and ambition, you name it. But here's the question: are the promises Labour made this weekend enough to win back voters?

Well, I don't know.

Hipkins laid out a few commitments, and I'll run you through them, bringing back smoke-free Aotearoa and finishing the Dunedin Hospital rebuild, which, of course, will matter to the folk in Dunedin, but beyond Dunedin, does it really?

And keeping New Zealand out of AUKUS, the military alliance between the US, UK, and Australia.

Now, on the AUKUS point alone, the average everyday Kiwi, I would argue, does not care about AUKUS, let alone know what AUKUS is. So why harp on about it?

I was expecting something at the weekend to ignite the fire within the Labour Party beyond the energy that we saw. There is no denying that there was great energy, and I'm not discrediting that, but Iwas expecting a wee bit more than what we got.

And I'll fully concede, and I understand, that we're still quite some time away from the next election.

So the Labour Party has, frankly, all the time in the world to lay out its vision for the next election. But one would have thought we would have seen more on the weekend.

Watch Will's Word below.

Frankly, Labour needs more than just a wet better than a national message.

They need a real plan that shows how they'll improve the lives of everyday Kiwis. I heard Hipkins speak about working with businesses, unions, and researchers; it all sounds good.

But it still lacks detail on how that will solve real problems like the cost of living, climate change, health care, and all the issues that matter to New Zealanders.

I'm sorry, but frankly, AUKUS to the everyday Kiwi who is sitting in Hawke's Bay, or Otago will not what AUKUS is. Now, the good thing is, Labour has time; time is on its side.

But the party needs to move from promises to policies that inspire people.

I was expecting some announcement, perhaps prematurely, on its tax policy platform. The one good thing that came for the weekend was Kieran McAnulty who's the new campaign chair.

He has a pretty big task ahead of him, but I'm excited to see what he could do in the job.

And on the National Party at the last election, it was Chris Bishop.

And for some reason, I like those two going head-to-head. If Bishop ends up being the campaign chair again, that is.

But in the good words of Jacinda Ardern, let's do this.

Let's see what the Labour Party can do in the lead-up to the 2026 election.

That's Will's Word.