Labour leader Chris Hipkins is confident he can win back Auckland as his party prepares for its campaign launch on Sunday.

Hipkins, alongside his deputy Carmel Sepuloni, local candidates Jenny Salesa and Kerrin Leoni and newcomer Rakesh Naidoo, braved heavy rain to meet with South Aucklanders at the Ōtara Market on Saturday, before heading to a volunteer rally at Waatea Marae in Māngere.

He met with stallholders and market-goers, almost all of whom said the cost of living was the biggest issue they wanted fixed heading into the election.

Hipkins was also confronted by political disruptor Karl Mokaraka, with Mokaraka repeatedly shouting "what's a woman?" and accusing Hipkins of leaving South Auckland "in a mess".

Speaking to media after the rally, Hipkins said winning Auckland was "really important" for the party.

"We didn't do as well here at the last election as we hoped to. We're doing much, much better this election campaign [and] we're getting a much much better reception on the ground," he said.

Flipping votes back to Labour and increasing voter turnout were the focus of the party's Auckland campaign, Hipkins said.

"Voter turnout is always something we've got to work hard on, particularly South and West Auckland, and we'll be very much focused on that.

"The Electoral Commission could certainly up their game when it comes to voter enrolment. I don't think they have done enough."

A notable absence at the rally was senior MP and Māori campaign chair Willie Jackson, whose mother, Dame June Jackson, established the marae the rally was being held at.

Hipkins said Jackson was in Australia meeting Labour's Sydney branch to drum up more votes from across the ditch.

"There's a lot of Kiwis over there, and he's doing a little bit of campaigning over there for us today.

"Normally he would be here, it was just unfortunate timing."

Asked if he "enjoyed" his meeting with Mokaraka at the market, Hipkins said election campaigns could be conducted "quite civilly".

"You can recognise that other candidates are out there fighting for votes as well.

"You don't have to be horrible to one another, it's a shame that Brian Tamaki and his mob don't seem to respect that."