Labour leader Chris Hipkins has committed to keeping New Zealand out of the AUKUS security pact if his party returns to power.
Hipkins revealed the policy position during his speech at the annual Labour Party conference, where he also committed his party to a “full rebuild of Dunedin Hospital”.
He said any future government he leads would “restore New Zealand’s proudly independent foreign policy”.
The former prime minister told party faithful: “Decisions about New Zealand’s best interests should be made here at home, not in Washington, Canberra or Beijing.
“So today I can announce that under Labour, New Zealand will not be part of AUKUS.”
The Government has been investigating the possibility it could join the second pillar of AUKUS, continuing work by the previous Labour government.
But policy analysts have assessed the coalition has been warming to joining pillar two – a suggestion that Foreign Minister Winston Peters has previously rubbished.
He told 1News in August that the Government was “far too far away from any such decision or discussion”. Peters said it was simply a possibility worth exploring.
“It would be irresponsible not to find out, particularly when so much of this investigation could be to our massive economic advantage and we need to turn our economy around.”
However, New Zealand would first need to be extended an invitation by the original architects of the arrangement – Australia, the UK, and the US.
Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon maintain that the coalition has been continuing the same work carried out under Labour.
Labour’s 2026 pitch to voters
Hipkins pledged to conferencegoers he would lead his party to make “the first one-term National government in New Zealand’s history” at the 2026 election.
“We’ve now put up with a year of the National, ACT and NZ First coalition of chaos. If you’re a Kiwi household wondering where the cost-of-living relief Christopher Luxon promised you is, you’re not alone. He talked a big game, now he’s failing to deliver.”
Hipkins said MP Kieran McAnulty would act as the party’s campaign chairperson.
“When we head back onto the campaign trail in 2026, we won’t make promises we can’t deliver. We will stand behind our promises because every single one of them will have been properly researched, fully costed, and we will have a plan to deliver on it,” he said.
“I know many New Zealanders had grown sceptical of big political promises by the time the last election rolled around. Covid-19 turned everything upside down and as a government we weren’t able to meet all the commitments we had made.
“And in some areas like Kiwibuild, while the ambition was right, the implementation missed the mark. We won’t repeat those mistakes again. This time we will be ready.”
Hipkins pledged to “deliver the full rebuild of Dunedin Hospital”, “invest in rebuilding” hospitals in the regions, while also reversing recent tax cuts on heated tobacco products.
The party’s other promises include boosting state housing, “investing in a publicly owned Interislander ferry service”, and spending on “sensible roading projects”.
Labour would also reintroduce fair pay agreements and strengthen worker protections.
Hipkins also appeared to again rule out working with NZ First.
“Before the last election I ruled out working with Winston Peters and NZ First and I’ve not once regretted it,” he said.
What is AUKUS Pillar Two?
AUKUS is a strategic defence partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The pact centres on the Indo-Pacific region. Experts say it aims to combat China’s military expansion in the area.
Formed in 2021, the AUKUS deal has two pillars.
The first pillar focuses on acquiring and developing eight nuclear-powered — but not nuclear-armed — submarines for Australia’s defence forces.
The stated aim of pillar two is about sharing advanced technology, like artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
The tech could also include drones or support systems for hypersonic weapons.
