Chris Hipkins speaks after campaigning in Auckland
Chris Hipkins has again spoken about New Zealand's "absolute condemnation" of the Hamas attack on Israel at the weekend.
His comments come as he speaks to media while on the campaign trail in Auckland ahead of Saturday's election.
Hipkins said he spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday morning to "compare notes".
He thought the New Zealand and the Australian position were "very aligned" and they had agreed to keep in touch.
He had also asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta to make sure New Zealand was "poised and ready to contribute to any international humanitarian response to the situation".
Hipkins said he went over the numbers on Sunday and believed there was only one New Zealander registered with the Safe Travel website who was in the Palestinian territory, and a couple of dozen (roughly, he believed) in Israel.
Commercial flights were still operating, he said, so there were opportunities for any New Zealanders in the area to leave.
MFAT currently had a 'do not travel' advisory for Gaza and the advice for wider travel to Israel was for essential travel only, he said.
Consular support for New Zealanders in the area was available, he said, and details of that was being provided to all those who had registered with the Safe Travel website, he said.
He said there had not been any reports of any New Zealanders being caught up in the immediate conflict, either through injury or being held as hostages.
Hipkins said it was "regrettable" that Hamas launched the attack and Israel was within its rights to defend itself.
With regard to the election campaign, Hipkins said the last week of National's was in "meltdown" with "David Seymour threatening to hold a potential National government to ransom on a daily basis now".
"That would be a recipe for instability and chaos. The idea that you could have Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters trying to form a government with David Seymour on a daily basis threatening to veto any decisions that the government might take, show the kind of chaos you could expect under a National-ACT-New Zealand First government."
He said he did not think New Zealanders deserved that.
"And I think the best way for them to avoid that is to give their party vote to Labour."
He said Labour had a "proven track record" of delivering "stable and responsible government for New Zealand in some very difficult circumstances".
He was confident Labour would be able to continue to do that after the election, he said.
Chris Hipkins has again spoken about New Zealand's "absolute condemnation" of the Hamas attack on Israel at the weekend.
His comments come as he speaks to media while on the campaign trail in Auckland ahead of Saturday's election.
Hipkins said he spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese...
Chris Hipkins has again spoken about New Zealand's "absolute condemnation" of the Hamas attack on Israel at the weekend.
His comments come as he speaks to media while on the campaign trail in Auckland ahead of Saturday's election.
Hipkins said he spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday morning to "compare notes".
He thought the New Zealand and the Australian position were "very aligned" and they had agreed to keep in touch.
He had also asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta to make sure New Zealand was "poised and ready to contribute to any international humanitarian response to the situation".
Hipkins said he went over the numbers on Sunday and believed there was only one New Zealander registered with the Safe Travel website who was in the Palestinian territory, and a couple of dozen (roughly, he believed) in Israel.
Commercial flights were still operating, he said, so there were opportunities for any New Zealanders in the area to leave.
MFAT currently had a 'do not travel' advisory for Gaza and the advice for wider travel to Israel was for essential travel only, he said.
Consular support for New Zealanders in the area was available, he said, and details of that was being provided to all those who had registered with the Safe Travel website, he said.
He said there had not been any reports of any New Zealanders being caught up in the immediate conflict, either through injury or being held as hostages.
Hipkins said it was "regrettable" that Hamas launched the attack and Israel was within its rights to defend itself.
With regard to the election campaign, Hipkins said the last week of National's was in "meltdown" with "David Seymour threatening to hold a potential National government to ransom on a daily basis now".
"That would be a recipe for instability and chaos. The idea that you could have Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters trying to form a government with David Seymour on a daily basis threatening to veto any decisions that the government might take, show the kind of chaos you could expect under a National-ACT-New Zealand First government."
He said he did not think New Zealanders deserved that.
"And I think the best way for them to avoid that is to give their party vote to Labour."
He said Labour had a "proven track record" of delivering "stable and responsible government for New Zealand in some very difficult circumstances".
He was confident Labour would be able to continue to do that after the election, he said.
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