Chris Hipkins rules out coalition with New Zealand First

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has officially ruled out forming a coalition with New Zealand First in any future government he leads. Hipkins stated that the party's "pattern of behaviour" has become unacceptable, specifically citing concerns regarding overt racism.

The decision follows controversial remarks made by New Zealand First leaders, including Winston Peters' comments regarding Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan and Deputy Leader Shane Jones' past remarks concerning the Indian community. Hipkins noted that he has heard from various migrant, Chinese, and Indian communities that they feel emboldened by the rhetoric from New Zealand First, which he argued is "bad for social cohesion."

Hipkins emphasized that after internal discussions with the Labour caucus, there was no support for working with the party. He also reiterated that Winston Peters would not serve as Foreign Affairs Minister in any Labour-led government. In response, Winston Peters criticized Hipkins on social media.