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From the “confronting” aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle to promises to keep working with the Muslim community after the Christchurch terror attack, Chris Hipkins’ first five weeks in office have been a baptism of fire. LEE KENNY reports.
It was already a packed schedule for Chris Hipkins on his first visit to the South Island since becoming prime minister, but flight delays made it even busier.
Out was the planned meeting with members of Christchurch business community, so was lunch in the city centre.
He arrived at Heaton Normal Intermediate School for a major funding announcement. An extra $301 million was being added to the $1.3 billion Christchurch schools rebuild programme.
He officially opened a new building at the school and although he was warmly welcomed by students, there was not quite the excitement there might have been had his predecessor been cutting the ribbon.
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He had been asked for “plenty of selfies so far”, but acknowledged he and Jacinda Ardern were “very different people”.
“We’ve got a different style and probably a different approach. The same values, ultimately, and the same underlying motivations,” he said.
Asked if the former prime minister had given him any feedback in his initial weeks, he said they had “kept in touch” and Ardern was “still a very good friend”.
“I think she’s enjoying being able to step back a little bit and have slightly less pressure to confront on a day-to-day basis.”
CHRIS SKELTON/Stuff
Heaton Normal Intermediate School principal James Griggs welcomes Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to the school.
For Hipkins, who was only in his fifth week in the job, it had been a baptism of fire, having to respond to the double emergency of the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.
For those who had only seen the devastation in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne on TV, it was “even more confronting when you see it in person”, he said.
“We went to some orchards earlier in the week, where there were cars in the top of trees, and it was the water that had put them there.
“It just shows you the scale of what they were dealing with.”
After a hard hat, high-vis tour of Heaton Intermediate with principal James Griggs, Hipkins faced journalists during a prearranged media “stand-up”.
Kiichiro Sato/AP
Hipkins won’t be using TikTok during the general election.
Did he support striking students calling for action on climate change? Yes, he replied.
Was recent drug driving legislation a waste of time? No, he said.
Was he going to fight the election using TikTok? He won’t.
From the school, he headed to Masjid An-Nur (Al Noor Mosque), almost four years on from the March 15 terror attacks.
Greeted by Imam Gamal Fouda and Farid Ahmed – whose wife Husna was killed by the terrorist – the prime minister began by passing on the best wishes of Jacinda Ardern.
“I know that you had a strong relationship with her and I hope that we can continue in that spirit,” Hipkins said.
Lee Kenny/Stuff
Hipkins meets members of the Muslim community at Masjid An-Nur in Christchurch.
“While there has been a change of leadership, there has not been a change in approach.”
It was “never going to be an overnight process” dealing “the very real issues” highlighted by the terror attack, he told the packed room.
“We need to continue to keep faith with all of you and the commitments we made in the aftermath of those terrible events.”
With the weekend looming, many people would be looking ahead to a couple of days off, but Hipkins said he’s had little downtime since being sworn in as prime minister.
“I haven’t really had a lot of free time, so sleeping has been big on the priority list for the little bits of free time I’ve been able to grab here and there.”
Daniel Tobin/Stuff
New Zealand has upped its game when it comes to sausage rolls, Hipkins jokes.
It’s well documented that Hipkins is a fan of a sausage roll – it even says so on his Wikipedia page – but it’s become something of “a national obsession”.
“Sausage rolls are a weak point for me,” he confessed.
“Everywhere I go I’ve been offered sausage rolls. I think the country is upping its sausage roll game. I think this is a significant advance for New Zealand.”
He’s yet to decide what he will do when he visits Southland, home of the cheese roll, but when in Rome…
“I hadn’t even thought of that. I probably should do the good thing and have a cheese roll.”
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