Thomas Coughlan: Labour thinks New Zealand is very broken — it’s unsure how much it wants to fix it

AnalysisAnalysis byThomas CoughlanPolitical Editor·NZ Herald·28 Jun, 2026 05:00 PM9 mins to readThomas Coughlan, Political Editor at the New Zealand Herald, loves applying a political lens to people's stories and explaining the way things like transport and finance touch our lives. ‌Labour leader Chris Hipkins rallied the troops at his parties Congress in Wellington over the weekend. Photo / FileANALYSISThree facts:Labour held its election year congress in Wellington over the weekend. The party announced a $226m scheme to subsidise apprenticeships. The party has promised a fiscal plan with detailed costings before the election, but has faced criticism for not detailing funding plans for its promise to reinstate the old pay equity regime, which a 2025 Treasury costing put at $11b.Labour went back to the old classics at its party congress in Wellington this weekend, partially reviving a Covid-era plan to increase subsidies for apprenticeships.

The policy extends a $500 a month subsidy for employers who take on apprentices from one year to two years and expands