Chris Hipkins visits Nelson businesses during election campaign

Labour leader Chris Hipkins visited Nelson on Wednesday to meet with local businesses as the election campaign enters its final month. The visit included stops at Sublime Coffee, Bridge Street Studios, and the Kirby Lane food truck hub. During the walkabout, Hipkins discussed the challenges facing small businesses with various owners.

Nick Schryvers, owner of Victus Coffee and Eatery, told Hipkins that hospitality is “really tough” due to rising costs. Iain Escott, owner of Nutty D’Lites, also spoke with the Labour leader regarding the difficulties small brands face when trying to access supermarket shelves.

While in the region, Hipkins also unveiled a new consumer policy at Nelson Airport alongside Barbara Edmonds and Arena Williams. The policy would require airlines to show full flight prices upfront and provide automatic refunds for cancelled or significantly changed flights.

The campaign visit occurred with one month remaining before the election on 7 November. Hipkins has also noted that he has not eaten any sausage rolls during this election campaign.

Compiled from reports by Stuff and The Press.