Labour's leader has promised to work with his political opponents on infrastructure projects if elected.
Chris Hipkins said parties cancelling each others' infrastructure projects was not helpful for building the infrastructure New Zealand needed.
Hipkins is in Auckland where he has been addressing business leaders, iwi, public and NGO leaders and taking questions after discussing the findings of the State of Auckland report, the Auckland regional deal and the city's national role.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins in Auckland speaking to reporters after his State of Auckland speech on Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
"We've got to get people in a room together - central government, local government, business. It's got to be bi-partisan."
When asked by reporters if he would be bringing a tangible pipeline of infrastructure to the election campaign, he said the answer was emphatically no.
"Because that's not how we're going to fix Auckland's infrastructure. Each political party at each election putting out a different laundry list of things that they want to build isn't the way we're going to get anything built in Auckland."
He said the current government had given his ministers some briefings on plans for a second harbour bridge crossing, but that process had not been collaborative enough.
"A collaborative process is what we need and what I'm committed to doing ... it won't just involve the government and the opposition. It's got to involve Auckland as well."
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown addressed media ahead of Hipkins.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins in Auckland speaking to reporters after his State of Auckland speech on Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Hipkins also responded to the prime minister's comments on Wednesday on immigration, saying the prime minister was embracing the anti-migrant rhetoric of his coalition partners.
In a speech to business leaders on Wednesday, Christopher Luxon said immigration was an emerging political issue, and the party would put social cohesion ahead of business profits.
Hipkins said the prime minister was buying into a view on immigration that was not true.
"Christopher Luxon is clearly embracing the anti-migrant rhetoric that his coalition partners are adopting, and he should be pushing back firmly against it, not trying to appease it."
