Policy, Politics and a word of advice to the president – Canta can Canta chats to Chris Hipkins

Source: Labour Party / Wikimedia.   

In a visit to the garden city last week, the leader of the opposition had a chat with Canta, where we identified some of the issues on students’ minds, and where the Labour party is headed.   

Given that the UCSA is amid its’ presidential and Executive Committee elections, Canta saw it only fitting to ask Hipkins, who was the president of the VUWSA back in the day, what advice he would pass on to our next president.  

According to Hipkins, an old fashioned approach did the trick – his main mantra was to go out and meet students.  

“My advice to whoever is elected would be to think about what are the five things you actually want to achieve during the time that your president,” he said.  

“You can do a lot of things, you can fill your days quite easily, student president is a fantastic job, and I loved every minute of it, but what do you actually want to do with it?”  

On the importance of voting, even at a students’ association level, Hipkins labelled students’ associations the voice of students.  

“I’m a big believer in students associations being the voice of students, and so what do you want your voice to say, what do you want them saying on your behalf? 

“Do you want someone that is going to go out and campaign for lower cost of living, lower cost of education, do you want someone who is not going to prioritise those things and prioritise more clubs and more social events, think about those things when you vote,” he said.  

While on the topic of priorities, Hipkins identified the cost of living crisis, student accommodation and the environment to be at the forefront of students’ minds.  

“In terms of cost of living, it’s always been a time of your life [student life] when you live with not very much,” he said.  

“My interactions on university campuses is that students are very thoughtful and very well informed on issues around climate change and sustainability… and very, very, frustrated at the lack of progress we’re making as a country.” 

To students, Hipkins said to just keep going.  

“I get for university students it’s really tough at the moment, but keep going because you know you’re the future of the country and you will inherit the country for better or for worse.”  

Hipkins said the Labour party is currently focusing in holding the government to account, and its’ strategies going forward.  

In the last year, Hipkins has also had to adjust to being in Parliament, but this time around as the opposition, which he said has been a frustrating adjustment.  

“You can’t effect change in the way that you can when you are the government, but you can still be a voice for those who are affected by government decisions … being a voice for people who are affected by bad government decisions.” 

Alas, Hipkins said it has given the party an opportunity to put forward alternatives, something which he said would start to happen next year.  

“We’ve got a couple of years to form new ideas, and to have the new answers to the problems the country faces,” he said.  

“From me, you’ll see a huge focus on sustainability because I do think we’re running out of time before the world reaches certain tipping points that mean we can’t then go back.  

“I don’t think sustainability and climate change are nice to haves, in terms of what we should focus on as a government, I think they’re fundamental and essential, so you’ll see that really strongly emphasised in our future policy.”  

Hipkins also said the part would be focused on the current economic system, one which he said, “has served a lot of people very, very well, but an even greater number of people very, very poorly.”