'It made me so angry': Hipkins targets cost of living at Labour campaign launch

Chris Hipkins is promising "plenty more fire" this election, as Labour promises to cut student debt if elected.

About 600 Labour supporters, volunteers and candidates packed into the Due Drop Events Centre in South Auckland for the party's election campaign launch.

The Pacific Youth Choir set the tone early, belting out classics like Mt Raskil Preservation Society's 'Bathe in the River' and Stan Walker's 'Aotearoa'.

Hipkins took to the stage in front of cheering supporters and immediately honed in on the cost of living as his focus for the election.

"Is there anyone Christopher Luxon hasn't talked down to?" he asked supporters.

"You can choose a prime minister who will fight to get your costs down or a prime minister whose response to rising prices was 'cry me a river'.

"Have you ever heard anything so out of touch?