Nation · Election 2026 · Press ✓ 3 outlets
Hipkins says councils have been made “scapegoats” by the Government
Labour leader Chris Hipkins told a conference in Rotorua that councils have become a “political punching bag” and a scapegoat for the Government’s failures (1News, NZ Herald, Newstalk ZB, 15 October).
Councils run water, roads and rubbish, and central government is reshaping their role, so who gets blamed for rates is a campaign issue.
If you pay rates, the argument is about who controls costs.
The claim is easy to make and harder to test. What to watch: whether Labour says what it would change in how councils are funded.
DailyDrop New Zealand edition No. 12 · Morning · FRI., OCT. 16, 2026