Election 2026: Has Labour’s Chris Hipkins’ campaigning improved since 2023 – and what’s Trevor Mallard doing?

Analysis byChief Political Reporter·NZ Herald·26 Sep, 2026 04:00 PM8 mins to readJamie Ensor is the New Zealand Herald’s Chief Political Reporter in the Press Gallery, based at Parliament in Wellington.‌THE FACTSChris Hipkins is campaigning as the leader of the Labour Party, hoping to win back power at the November 7 election.He visited the Ōtara market on Saturday morning, after riding the City Rail Link on Friday night.The Labour contingent included former Speaker Trevor Mallard.Early in the lead-up to the 2023 election, it dawned on many that Chris Hipkins, the political animal, talented debater and reliable fix-it minister, couldn’t quite translate his parliamentary skills to the national campaign trail. Although he appeared comfortable in front of the media and in Wellington,