‘More hysterical by the day’: Hipkins fires back at Nats, rules out two taxes

Author: Jamie Ensor,
Publish Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2026, 8:57pm

Vote 2026

Labour has ruled out introducing streaming and ute taxes if in power after November 7.

Leader Chris Hipkins confirmed on Monday that Labour wouldn’t introduce either tax, after questions were raised by National, which has been issuing press releases and social media posts suggesting the taxes were part of Labour’s plan.

Hipkins accused National, which spent last week mired by questions over whether its MPs were attempting to overthrow its leader, of “desperation”.

He said campaign chair Simeon Brown was “getting more and more hysterical by the day”.

“If I was looking at internal polling numbers like the sort that he’s looking at, I’d be getting a bit worried about that as well,” the Labour leader said.

“But that doesn’t mean that he can make up policy on behalf of the Labour Party.”

Labour has previously said the only tax it would implement is its proposed Capital Gains Tax (CGT).

National finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis on Sunday issued a press release claiming “it has emerged” that Labour was proposing a streaming tax and Labour’s candidate Michael Wood “wants to bring back his unpopular ute tax”.

That was followed by a statement on Monday from Brown about the taxes, in which he said if Hipkins didn’t rule them out soon, “New Zealanders can only assume Labour will be campaigning on them”.

Brown and National have already begun posting on social media that Labour would introduce these taxes.

National campaign chair Simeon Brown issued a press release about the alleged taxes. Photo / Michael Craig

The basis for National’s claim that Labour is “talking about” proposing a tax on streaming services is an RNZ story published in January.

In the story, it is stated that Labour had proposed implementing a streaming levy should it win the election, with its media spokesman Reuben Davidson quoted as saying such a levy would ensure international operators invested in local content.

Hipkins has previously said it was “highly unlikely” Labour would progress such a levy and definitively ruled it out on Monday.

“We do want to see local content on streaming platforms, but we will not be introducing a streamers levy.”

As for the ute tax, a colloquial term for the fees placed on high-emissions vehicle under the now-scrapped Clean Car Discount, National has pointed to a line in a Herald profile on Wood, which says the Labour candidate talks about the scheme while door-knocking.

Hipkins on Monday also ruled this out.

Another question National has raised is about whether Labour would take up the Opportunity Party’s 1.75% land value tax proposal, or a version of it.

Labour MP Willie Jackson on Friday said his party would “not go along with the number they are talking about in terms of land tax”.

Asked what rate Labour could stomach, Jackson responded, “who knows?”

Although when it was then put to Jackson that he was open to a land value tax, the MP said: “No, I am not open to anything.”

Hipkins said Jackson had eventually rejected the idea of a land value tax, but believed Jackson could have been “clearer” with his response. Hipkins ruled out a land value tax with any rate.

National itself is not ruling out tax increases if it is re-elected. Leader Christopher Luxon last week said fuel excise, an accommodation levy and bank tax settings were possible areas where National could consider new or increased taxes.

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.