Ardern backs Hipkins and Labour in a campaign video, four weeks before the 7 November election
Dame Jacinda Ardern posted a video on her website on Sunday 11 October backing Labour leader Chris Hipkins and asking supporters to donate, and it was also emailed to Labour supporters (Bloomberg, New Zealand Herald, Newstalk ZB, The Post, The Straits Times). She lives in Australia and had not been involved in the campaign publicly before. Reports note that Labour has declared only $890,000 in donations above $20,000 this year, against $2.3 million for National and $2.4 million for ACT. On Tuesday 6 October a panel of 100 undecided voters chose Hipkins over Christopher Luxon 49 to 24 after the first leaders' debate (1News, Stuff). Two polls, from TVNZ and RNZ, have the centre-left bloc narrowly ahead, and the election is on 7 November.
Campaign money and name recognition matter in a close race decided by coalition arithmetic. Ardern is still New Zealand's best-known recent leader, and the video shows Labour reaching for donors at a time when it trails on large donations.
If you are on the electoral roll you can vote from 21 October; check that your enrolment is correct, because the rule requiring enrolment two weeks before polling day is a live campaign issue.
Supporters say a respected former leader can lift Labour's fundraising and turnout.
Critics say the video shows Labour is short of money and leaning on a leader who left office in 2023.
One video does not move a poll. What to watch is whether Labour's small-donation total, which it does not have to disclose quickly, matches the late-campaign spending that National and ACT can afford.
DailyDrop New Zealand edition No. 8 · Morning · MON., OCT. 12, 2026