It may seem like an odd headline, so here's the argument:
= In education, Hipkins believes in a single State monopoly supplier, better known as the "one size fits all approach". He dis-established state-funded, privately run Charter Schools, which are a well-known and effective way of creating more choice for parents.
= In health-care, Hipkins again believes in a single State monopoly supplier. It is called "Health NZ". We have one of the smallest private health-care sectors in the OECD. In places like Canada, Singapore & Taiwan most hospitals are privately run. Even in France, 30-40% of hospitals are private. We instead have a socialist system, in which day-to-day control has been handed to public bureaucrats in Wellington.
= The PM's government granted New World & Countdown a full monopoly during the pandemic, legally forbidding any other outlets from selling food during the lockdowns. This cemented their monopoly position and helped lead to higher food prices today.
= The PM's government paid the wage subsidy to the biggest firms in the country, including Fletcher Construction, which has retained the $70 million in public funds it received, as well as well as Air NZ, which has retained its $177 million subsidy. Both firms wield significant monopoly power.
From education to health-care to the food industry to construction to airlines, our PM has done more to cement monopoly power than any other Prime Minister, ever.
And he wonders why the cost of living is high in NZ? Go figure.