Steven Joyce jokes Chris Hipkins should 'retire from politics'

  • 18/08/2017

National MP Steven Joyce has joked Labour MP Chris Hipkins should "retire from politics" in light of this week's citizenship debacle.

It comes after Mr Hipkins was accused of interfering in Australia's constitutional crisis putting two Parliamentary questions to Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne about the citizenship of children born in Australia to a New Zealand father. 

When asked on Three's The Project's 'Fix It In 20' segment how to stop Australia from hating New Zealand, Mr Joyce said light heartedly: "Get Chris Hipkins to retire from politics."

He also suggested New Zealand should play Australia more in rugby and cricket and "throw a few games".

In response to the latest polling showing Labour leader Jacinda Ardern catching up to Prime Minister Bill English as preferred Prime Minister going into September's election, Mr Joyce said the election's become a "contest of ideas".

"It didn't look like we were going to have one of those three weeks ago, and now we have," he said.

Newshub.