Labour clears decks before election

“I said the Government is doing too much too fast, and that we need to focus on the cost of living. The events in Auckland have once again demonstrated the limits of our existing infrastructure and the need for change. "It will help to provide greater bandwidth and resource for where focus is needed most – the cost of living. When I became leader I promised that the Government would do more to help families with the cost of living," he said. Hipkins said the 7% increase in the minimum wage would only increase the wages portion of GDP by 0.1%, according to MBIE analysis.