GORDON LIGHTFOOT | Politics
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Former Prime Minister and current opposition leader Chris “Chippy” Hipkins is on a mission to take back control of the media narrative and solidify himself as an everyday bloke.
In recent interviews, some have noticed a sort of angry, whiny vibe in the veteran Labour leader, with many asking whether this was his new campaign direction. Famously angry guy Trevor Mallard has been spotted on the campaign trail with him, so the new pissed-off vibe could be strategic, or he could just be genuinely tired and irritated at the realities of a life in politics.
Previously the media have enjoyed Hipkins’ lighter, more jovial sausage-roll-eating side. This was a winning strategy for Chippy, and so in a massive return to form he has committed to eating 1000 sausage rolls between now and election night.
“I’m willing to put my waist-line and ultimately my cardiovascular health on the line for all the New Zealanders who are fed up with this government,” he said as he wasted no time scoffing his first saussie roll.
“The media have failed to talk up all our great policies, like capped public transport fees, and so I’m going back to something I know they love reporting on, and that’s me shoving pastries in my mouth.”
Media analyst and part time nutritionist Geraldine Jones says this is a strong strategy from a media narrative point of view, but could be risky to the Labour leader’s health in the medium term.
“Hipkins needs to do everything he can to get cut through at this stage, and he is dead right about sausage rolls being a hot subject for journalists,” she said this morning.
“There’s only 39 days until the election, so to eat a thousand sausage rolls means about 26 sausage rolls per day. Hopefully he’s talking about the ones you chop up yourself and bake in the oven and not the full-sized ones from the bakery.
“But with all that extra junk food I think we can expect a fatter and even more irritable Chris Hipkins by the time the election rolls round,” she said with genuine concern.
Hipkins will document his 1000 sausage roll journey via social media.
More to come.
