Labour says no to a Netflix tax and a ute tax — here's what happened

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has confirmed Labour will not introduce a tax on streaming services like Netflix or bring back the so-called ute tax. The confirmation came after National spent days attacking Labour over its tax plans. New Zealand Herald

Earlier on the Monday in question, Hipkins was asked whether he could rule out a streaming tax or a ute tax. He answered "No" to both, meaning he had not yet ruled them out. RNZ

National's finance spokesperson Nicola Willis called on Hipkins to be clear about where he stood. Willis said Labour MP Reuben Davidson was proposing a levy on streaming services that could push up the price of Netflix and similar platforms. She also pointed to a news report that former Labour minister Michael Wood had been talking up the Clean Car Discount, a scheme that gave rebates to people buying low-emission vehicles and paid for it by charging fees on high-emission ones like utes. The report did not say Wood wanted to bring the scheme back. RNZ

National's Simeon Brown said Hipkins had been "silent" on the two taxes. Brown claimed Labour and its allies were planning nine new taxes to cover an $18 billion spending gap, and that a streaming tax and ute tax would make it 11. RNZ

Hipkins hit back, calling the attacks "hysterical desperation" and saying Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was incompetent. He said National was "just desperate" and that Brown was "getting more and more hysterical by the day". RNZ

Hipkins made the comments after the prime minister and transport minister had announced plans for a second Auckland harbour crossing. RNZ

Ruling out the two taxes does not settle every question about Labour's tax plans. Willis said Hipkins previously promised no capital gains tax under Labour but has since changed his position. Facebook

A capital gains tax is a tax on the profit you make when you sell something like a house or shares. Hipkins has actually ruled out a capital gains tax and a wealth tax if Labour is re-elected, and has held that position since August 2024. Newshub

Hipkins also said Labour would not support wealth taxes, land taxes or other taxes proposed by smaller parties like Opportunity. 1News

In New Zealand, parties often need to team up with smaller parties to form a government, and those smaller parties can push their own policies as part of the deal. On July 28, 2026, Hipkins said there was "no way" Labour would support Opportunity's tax policy and that he would decide whether to work with that party. 1News

Labour MP Willie Jackson had seemed open to a land tax when asked about it, but Hipkins said Jackson "could have been clearer" and noted Jackson later said he was not open to one. RNZ

Hipkins ruled out picking up other parties' tax policies, even as National kept suggesting he would. New Zealand Herald

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said a Labour capital gains tax would be a tax on families, and claimed Hipkins admitted he would never sell his beach house under such a tax. Instagram

National MP Paul Goldsmith said Labour needs to tell the public whether it would fill a budget gap with higher taxes or more borrowing. Facebook

On August 10, Hipkins said Labour would make changes to help small businesses if it formed the next government. Facebook

The back-and-forth is part of a fight over tax that has run all year. In February 2026, Brown posted on Instagram that Hipkins was happy to talk about Labour's new taxes but refused to be specific, setting the approach National has used ever since. Instagram

What changed on August 17 is that Hipkins shut down two specific lines of attack from National, the streaming levy and the ute tax, while keeping his wider position of ruling out wealth and capital gains taxes and refusing to take on other parties' tax plans. National now has to find other areas where Labour's position is unclear, and Labour has to keep its MPs saying the same thing, as the Jackson mix-up showed.