PremiumOpinionOpinion byAudrey YoungSenior Political Correspondent·NZ Herald·10 Sep, 2026 01:48 AM10 mins to readAudrey Young, Senior Political Correspondent at the New Zealand Herald based at Parliament, specialises in writing about politics and power.‌Welcome to Inside Politics. There was a certain amount of nervousness last night as Labour leader Chris Hipkins held his first public meeting of the campaign about how ugly it might get.

Anti-vaccination activists disrupted a candidates’ meeting for Wellington North the night before, and former