Watch: Winston Peters for Prime Minister? Chris Hipkins on what’s up for grabs in coalition talks next election - and what’s not

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins talks to Stuff's Political Editor Tova O'Brien about working with Winston, the capital gains tax and whether he can up his lacklustre campaign game.

When Winston Peters revealed he was planning to repeal ACT’s prized Regulatory Standards Bill, David Seymour fired back, saying, it sounded like Peters was getting ready to go with Labour again.

It kicked of the age-old election tradition, the ‘will they, won’t they’ work with Winston waltz.

Ahead of Labour’s conference this weekend, Labour leader Chris Hipkins sat down with Stuff Political Editor Tova O’Brien.

Given Peters has “permanently” ruled out working with Hipkins, personally, O’Brien asked if Hipkins would step aside as leader if it meant Peters returning Labour to power - if that was a sacrifice Hipkins was willing to make for the sake of the party.

Or, if he would let Peters take a spin as Prime Minister to get a coalition across the line.

Hipkins also concedes the party’s capital gains tax may not make as much money as Labour has predicted so does that put the free doctors visits it’s supposed to pay for at risk?