Labour leader Chris Hipkins has landed back in New Zealand from a holiday in Australia following allegations levelled at him by his former wife. The Herald approached the Leader of the Opposition at Wellington Airport on Tuesday to ask for his response to claims made by his ex-wife, Jade Paul. Upon arrival he told awaiting media that he would speak to the claims at a press conference later in the day. He said these were personal matters. He rejected the claims in a statement on Monday, but since then, Paul has defended making the allegations. The claims do not suggest Hipkins was engaging in unlawful activity. As of about midday on Tuesday, Hipkins was scheduled to be interviewed by broadcasters on Wednesday morning. The allegations by Paul were first made in a since-deleted Facebook post on her private page on Sunday. In his statement, Hipkins said: “I reject the allegations entirely and don’t intend to make any further comment”. On Monday night, Paul posted again. “So many women are hurt by high profile men who just do what they want with no consequences. We get told all of the time that if we speak out then our lives will be ruined, our kids will be impacted,” Paul said. “We get labeled as ‘crazy’ or defamatory when we tell the truth. Today I have had enough.” Hipkins has two children with Jade. The pair were together for years before marrying in 2020 in a ceremony at Premier House. The Herald understands Hipkins is seeking legal advice about the social media post. Labour finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds, speaking to media on Monday afternoon, said she hadn’t seen the allegations and hadn’t yet spoken to Hipkins. “Marriage break-ups are hard, especially when you have children involved in it, so Chris will talk to his statement or Chris will provide whatever comment he wants to provide but ultimately for a lot of us, it’s to make sure that their children are okay.”