Sepuloni urges govt change amid challenges for Pacific communities

Labour’s Deputy Leader, Carmel Sepuloni, says Pacific communities want the party back in government, as she warns many families are struggling under rising living costs.

In an interview with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Sepuloni says the high unemployment rate among Pacific people, now more than double the national average, shows the current government’s policies are not delivering.

She says Labour is focused on winning the next election instead of courting other political parties.

“Wherever I go, our Pacific communities say ‘you’ve got to win the next election’,” Sepuloni says. “So a lot is at stake for our Pacific community and they’re relying on Labour to get back in so that we can make life a little bit easier and a little bit better for them and their families.”

Recent data from Stats NZ reveals that the unemployment rate for Pacific people has risen to 12.1 per cent in the three months ending in September.

Sepuloni says the high unemployment rate is due to the government’s decision to pause many infrastructure and building projects.

Watch Carmel Sepuloni's full interview below.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the government is working to create favourable conditions for business investment, which will lead to job creation.

“I also note that for those who aren’t in work and are struggling to find a job, we have a really well government-funded tertiary education system that offers training, certificates and degrees to those who might want to take this opportunity to upskill, so that they’re ready for the great new jobs that will be created in the New Zealand economy,” Willis says.

Minister for Social Development, Louise Upston, has defended the government’s decision to cut the Tupu Aotearoa programme, which supports Pacific people in finding employment and training.

Social Development Minister Louise Upston. Photo/Supplied

The 2025 Budget saw a reduction of $22 million from the programme. “What we want to do is ensure that we’re investing in the programmes that we know have the best outcomes,” Upston says. “That’s why we’ve put more people into case management.”

Sepuloni says many of the government’s policies are not beneficial to Pacific people. “A lot of New Zealanders, including our Pacific community, feel like the country is going backwards and that their personal circumstances are certainly not improving.”

She criticises the government’s rates-cap policy, claiming it could deprive councils of key revenue and could lead to more user charges for local services.

When asked whether Labour is considering New Zealand First as a potential coalition partner, Sepuloni’s response was clear: “No, we're focused on what we need to do and winning the hearts and minds of as many New Zealanders as we possibly can so that we can win the next election.”

Watch Nicola Willis talk about the state of the economy below.