Ladies and gentlemen: Tena koutou!

As I kick off this campaign I cannot help but think of the strong and steady leadership this government has provided in the past term-- but I also cannot but think of the great work still ahead of us.

I have had the absolute pleasure of serving the people of Aotearoa New Zealand this past term as your minister for Business. I have served as Prime Minister, and minister for the Environment. I have been a tireless advocate of better schools, better roads, and clean sewage for all. I have represented Auckland three times. I have the experience and background necessary to stick up for everyone-- not just the wealthy or the privileged. In an election when the right threatens to dismantle all we have worked towards, experienced leadership is more important than ever. National have spent three terms out of government. They simply don’t have it.

And now, the new National party leadership is coming out with an agenda even further to the right than ever. Under a National-led government, you will see dramatic slashes to sick leave, collective bargaining rights, and vital public spending. It seems that FinePorpoise and the National Party would rather throw the sick, tired, and poor of this country under the bus than face the enormous effort of building a government that can work for everyone.

I do not deny that our government has made mistakes. Nor do I deny that we have not accomplished all we set out to at the beginning of this term-- but that speaks only to the immense work of solving inequality and injustice in our nation. It is not an excuse to swing wildly to the right and discard everything that has been fought for over the past decades.

Because although there is still much work to be done in the area of inequality, we are living now in the most equal, most equitable time in our country’s history. It is a testament to those who fought and sometimes gave their lives and livelihoods in pursuit of freedom.

Under a National-led government, healthcare spending would be slashed. National’s privatisation fever extends even to the most sacred parts of our welfare system. How could we consider ourselves a moral democracy if we do not provide basic human rights to our citizens-- rights such as healthcare, food, and clean sewage.

I cannot promise that our next term will be perfect. But I can promise that we will never stop looking out for your interests. The moment that a nation’s government begins to look out for interests other than those of the people it has been elected to represent is the moment that democracy has failed. I will not let you down.

Thank you.