Labour blames mixed messaging on streamers levy on 'admin oversight'

Labour has blamed an "administrative oversight" for mixed messaging over whether the party would introduce a new levy on streaming services like Netflix.

By Craig McCulloch of RNZ

Leader Chris Hipkins last night flatly ruled out introducing a streaming levy if elected in November.

But the National Party was quick to point out this morning that senior Labour MP Willie Jackson had a member's bill in the ballot which would do just that.

"Chris Hipkins is a serial flip-flopper, telling Kiwis one thing, while his caucus is doing another," National campaign chairperson Simeon Brown said on X.

Speaking to reporters earlier this morning, Hipkins said the legislation had since been removed from the ballot.

"It's been sorted," he said.

"There was an administrative oversight. We became aware of it. It was dealt with."

Hipkins said Labour had discussed many different policy ideas this term but was now locking down its manifesto ahead of the election.

"Circumstances change. Things that were a good idea 18 months, two years, three years, five years, six years ago, things change."

Asked to explain Labour's shift-in-position on a streamers' levy, Hipkins repeatedly refused to answer the question before finally saying he did not want to add to the cost of living.

"We're not adding a levy onto everybody's Netflix account."

Labour's media spokesperson Reuben Davidson separately told reporters the bill had been removed from the ballot as "a bit of administrative tidying up".

Davidson denied having sent confusing messages to voters himself when he told The Post in January that Labour would look to implement a streaming levy "as early as possible" after the election.

"I don't think it muddied the waters," he said.

"I was talking about a streamers' levy in the context of a member's bill. I wasn't talking about it as being Labour Party policy."

Jackson was also playing down the policy reversal, saying he lodged his bill more than a year ago while he was still the party's media spokesperson.

"You can try and make a big deal about it, but it's an administrative thing with us," he said.

National has also taken aim at Jackson's recent comments on Ryan Bridge's Today programme about a potential land tax - as advocated by the Opportunity Party.

Asked what percentage of a land tax Labour could accept, Jackson replied: "who knows?"

Following his comments, Hipkins and Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds insisted the party would not entertain any land tax.

Again, Jackson dismissed National's reaction as "desperate" and "hysterical".

"I say, 'who knows?' Oh, huge! You know, like, come on... Ryan and I have the most crazy conversations sometimes."

After repeated questioning, Jackson finally offered an apology of sorts for his response.

"I'm sorry for not getting it exactly right at the time, all right... how many times do you want to hear it? How many? Oh, sorry about that," Jackson said.

"Sorry that I said, 'who knows?', and you think you got the story of the century. Sorry about that."