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Evidence · NZ Election 2026

Every question, every answer, every source

Everything the study collected, as it was collected on 5 October 2026. Read any answer in full, or download the tables behind every figure in the study.

questions
174
voters the questions were written as
32
answers collected, of 820 planned
815
answers compared like for like
800
pairs of national and town answers
124
answers with sources recorded
774
answers that showed a link
304

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question was written as a voter would ask it and went to all four assistants. Some were also asked from a town. Open a question to read every answer to it in full.

Showing 20 of 174 questions

Show all 174

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    nz-election-2026-questions.csv

    One row per question.

    Question id, report reference, question, voter, issue, towns it was also asked from, answers per assistant

    174rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    nz-election-2026-answers.csv

    One row per answer, with its full text.

    Answer id, question id, assistant, town, words, parties named, showed a link, websites recorded as sources, compared like for like, full text

    815rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    nz-election-2026-sources.csv

    One row for each website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer id, question id, assistant, town, website, publisher type

    4,216rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against official sources

    nz-election-2026-checks.csv

    One row per statement checked.

    Check, answer id, assistant, what the answer said, verdict, what the source says, source, date

    17rows

    Download checks against official sources (CSV)

  • Who to vote for: coding

    nz-election-2026-guidance.csv

    One row per answer to the eight questions that asked who to vote for.

    Answer id, question id, assistant, what the answer did, the words that show it

    32rows

    Download who to vote for: coding (CSV)

  • Location and national answers

    nz-election-2026-towns.csv

    One row per question asked both nationally and from a location, for each assistant.

    Question, town, assistant, both answer ids, parties named nationally and from the town, same parties

    124rows

    Download location and national answers (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · No location

I'm retired and still rent. NZ Super is my main income, and I am worried about rent increases or needing to move again. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Who should I vote for if my main aim is to keep a secure, affordable home on NZ Super? Explain the reasons and uncertainties.

I can help you work through the decision, but I can’t tell you who you should vote for or recommend a party. A useful way to approach this election is to compare which parties’ policies best match your priorities: a secure rental home, protection from unaffordable rent increases, and a stable income on NZ Super. Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026 - Policy.nz

For someone in your situation, the key questions are likely:

  1. How will my rent be kept affordable?
  2. What happens if my landlord sells, raises the rent sharply, or I need to move?
  3. Will NZ Super keep pace with living costs?
  4. Will there be more suitable housing for older renters?

Policy areas that may matter most

1. Rental protections and affordability

Parties differ on whether they emphasise:

  • stronger tenant protections,
  • limits or controls on rent increases,
  • more government involvement in housing supply,
  • or increasing private housing supply to improve affordability over time.

For example, election policy comparisons show parties putting forward different approaches on issues such as rental standards, rent increases, social housing, and housing supply. Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026 - Policy.nz

The uncertainty is that:

  • rent controls or stronger regulation may help some renters directly, but opponents argue they could affect the supply of rental homes;
  • increasing housing supply may take years and may not immediately help someone facing a rent rise next year.

2. NZ Super security

For many retirees, NZ Super is the foundation of financial security. Current party positions differ on issues such as the future eligibility age and how retirement income should be structured. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders - Grey Power

Questions to ask parties:

  • Will NZ Super remain universal?
  • Will eligibility rules change?
  • Will payments keep pace with inflation and living costs?
  • Will support be available for older renters, not just homeowners?

The uncertainty is that governments must balance retiree incomes with long-term public finances as the population ages.

3. Housing designed for older renters

Older renters face a particular issue: moving is harder when housing is scarce, and many older New Zealanders do not have home equity to fall back on. The Retirement Commission has noted that more people are reaching retirement without owning a home, increasing the importance of secure rental options and suitable housing. Housing | Retirement Commission Te Ara Ahunga Ora

You might look at:

  • availability of affordable one-bedroom homes,
  • social housing access,
  • accessibility (warmth, stairs, transport),
  • protections against forced moves.

A practical way to decide

Rather than asking “which party is best?”, you could make a small checklist and compare each party’s published policies:

Your priority Policy question
Stay in your current rental Would this party strengthen or weaken tenant security?
Avoid sudden rent shocks What is their plan for rent affordability?
Live on NZ Super How do they protect retirement income?
Avoid another move Do they support more secure older-person housing?
Long-term stability Can their policies realistically be funded?

New Zealand’s MMP system also means your party vote is especially important in determining the balance of Parliament, while your electorate vote chooses a local MP. How does New Zealand's electoral system work and does it favour coalitions?

If you want, I can also make a neutral comparison table of the major 2026 NZ parties specifically through the lens of “retired renter on NZ Super” (housing security, rent, Super, and cost of living).

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

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Gemini · No location

I'm retired and still rent. NZ Super is my main income, and I am worried about rent increases or needing to move again. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Who should I vote for if my main aim is to keep a secure, affordable home on NZ Super? Explain the reasons and uncertainties.

Deciding how to vote when you are retired, renting, and relying primarily on NZ Super involves weighing competing political philosophies. Because New Zealand's MMP voting system almost always results in coalition governments, no single party's platform is guaranteed to be implemented in full.

Different parties approach the intersection of retirement, fixed incomes, and renting through distinct lenses.

Main Party Approaches Relevant to Your Situation

1. The Green Party & Te Pāti Māori (Strong Renter Intervention)

  • The Approach: Focus heavily on direct market intervention to protect tenants.
  • Key Policies: They campaign on a Renters’ Rights Bill that includes a hard cap on annual rent increases (around 2%), the removal of "no-cause" evictions, and the establishment of a rental warrant of fitness. They also advocate for massive state and public housing builds to reduce reliance on private landlords.
  • Why it appeals to your goal: A 2% rent cap directly addresses the fear of being priced out of your home by steep annual increases, and banning no-cause evictions provides long-term security of tenure.
  • The Uncertainties / Counter-arguments: Opponents and property-owner groups argue that strict rent controls discourage private investment, shrink the overall pool of rental properties, and can lead to lower maintenance standards as landlords cut costs.

2. The Labour Party (Moderate Renter Protections & Social Housing)

  • The Approach: Balanced tenant protections combined with supply-side state housing expansion.
  • Key Policies: Labour supports stronger legal protections for renters and previously removed no-cause evictions while in government (though these were later restored by the National-led government). They emphasize scaling up social housing supply (such as committing to thousands of new social homes) to support lower-income households.
  • Why it appeals to your goal: It offers a middle ground—strengthening tenant rights and stability without enacting rigid price controls that might provoke a sharp supply contraction.
  • The Uncertainties / Counter-arguments: Labour has generally stopped short of endorsing a hard percentage rent cap, meaning market-rate rent increases can still outpace fixed increases in NZ Super if inflation rises.

3. National & ACT (Market-Led Supply & Property Rights)

  • The Approach: Focus on economic growth, increasing overall housing supply through planning reform, and protecting landlord property rights.
  • Key Policies: National and ACT oppose rent controls and "no-cause" eviction bans, arguing that such measures choke rental supply and ultimately drive rents higher. Their focus is on regulatory reform to make building easier and supporting landlords (such as restoring interest deductibility) to keep private rentals available. They also prioritize keeping general living costs down through economic management.
  • Why it appeals to your goal: If you believe that the best way to keep rent affordable is to flood the market with housing choices so landlords have to compete for tenants, this philosophy aligns with that view.
  • The Uncertainties / Counter-arguments: For a renter on a fixed income, relying on market supply to stabilize or lower rents can take a long time. In the short term, without caps or tenure protections, you remain vulnerable to market-rate rent spikes or being asked to move.

4. New Zealand First (Seniors Focus & Superannuation Security)

  • The Approach: Heavily focused on the welfare of older New Zealanders, universal superannuation settings, and aged-care/seniors' housing planning.
  • Key Policies: NZ First strongly defends universal NZ Super (maintaining it at 66% of the net average wage) and has proposed dedicated seniors' housing initiatives and better support for ageing in place. They generally prefer ownership and supply-side solutions over heavy rent regulation.
  • Why it appeals to your goal: While they lean away from rent caps, their core voter base is older New Zealanders, and their primary legislative leverage is often used to protect pension settings and senior-specific supports against fiscal cuts.

Summary of Uncertainties to Weigh

  1. The Coalition Reality: Because New Zealand uses MMP, a vote for a smaller party (like the Greens or NZ First) often influences which major party they will form a coalition with. A vote may result in a compromise policy rather than a pure platform.
  2. Supply vs. Regulation Trade-off: Economists and housing advocates remain sharply divided on whether capping rents protects tenants or ultimately destroys rental availability. You have to decide whether you trust regulatory protection (Greens/Labour) or market supply (National/ACT/NZ First) to secure your housing future.
  3. Income Adequacy: Since NZ Super is indexed to wages, your income is somewhat protected against general inflation, but private market rents in many regions have historically outpaced wage growth.
Ask Gemini

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Captured 5 October 2026 · shown as Gemini gave it, not a verified account

Google AI Mode · No location

I'm retired and still rent. NZ Super is my main income, and I am worried about rent increases or needing to move again. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Who should I vote for if my main aim is to keep a secure, affordable home on NZ Super? Explain the reasons and uncertainties.

Deciding who to vote for as a retired, renting New Zealand Superannuant facing housing insecurity involves weighing different political approaches to renting, social housing, and cost-of-living supports. Around 20% of New Zealanders aged 65 and over now rent, and with NZ Super as a fixed income, rent increases present a direct threat to housing stability.

No single party completely removes all risks, and your choice depends on which policy mechanisms you trust most. Below is an overview of how major political parties approach the issues of renting, senior housing, and financial support for older renters based on their platforms for the 2026 New Zealand General Election. How parties stand on issues affecting older New ZealandersElection Policy 2026 - Grey Power New Zealand Federation Inc

Key Party Approaches & Reasons to Consider Them

  • Green Party

  • The Approach: Focuses heavily on direct regulation of the rental market and expanding public infrastructure. They propose limiting annual rent increases to 2% and creating thousands more accessible public homes, alongside a state-owned, not-for-profit retirement village scheme.

  • Why it fits your aim: A strict cap on annual rent increases directly targets your core worry of sudden, unaffordable rent spikes. Expanding public and state-backed housing also increases the long-term likelihood of finding secure, subsidized accommodation tailored to older adults. [greypowermag.co.nz]

  • New Zealand First

  • The Approach: Places a strong, explicit emphasis on seniors through a proposed Seniors Housing Plan and initiatives geared toward supporting ageing in place, alongside a historical commitment to protecting the baseline settings of NZ Super.

  • Why it fits your aim: Their focus is explicitly catered to older demographics. A dedicated Seniors Housing Plan aims to address the specific vulnerabilities of older citizens who do not own their own homes. [Grey Power New Zealand Federation Inc.+1]

  • The National Party

  • The Approach: Focuses on broader housing supply reforms to lower or stabilize costs through planning and zoning changes, alongside increasing Accommodation Supplement payments and expanding rates rebates (which can indirectly assist with overall housing affordability if thresholds shift).

  • Why it fits your aim: National emphasizes private market supply expansion and adjustments to existing financial safety nets like the Accommodation Supplement rather than heavy market interventions like rent freezes. [greypowermag.co.nz]

  • The Opportunities Party (TOP)

  • The Approach: Proposes replacing the current Accommodation Supplement framework with a more universal housing payment and supporting the development of broader social housing.

  • Why it fits your aim: A modernized or universal housing payment could potentially offer a more predictable, streamlined supplement to match fixed NZ Super incomes against rental costs. [greypowermag.co.nz]

  • Labour Party

  • The Approach: While specific comprehensive housing policies targeted strictly at older renters have varied, they generally emphasize public housing builds, cost-of-living relief (such as public transport caps and energy-reduction measures), and tenant protections.

  • Why it fits your aim: Focuses on strengthening the public safety net and lowering ancillary living costs (power, transport) to free up more of your NZ Super for accommodation. [greypowermag.co.nz]

Uncertainties and Risks to Keep in Mind

  • The Risk of Rent Caps (Green Policy): While limiting rent increases offers immediate security, economists and property groups frequently debate whether hard caps discourage private landlords from maintaining properties, or cause them to exit the market entirely, potentially shrinking the overall pool of available rentals.

  • Supply Lag vs. Immediate Need: Policies focused purely on long-term zoning reform or building public houses (National, Labour, Greens) take years to eventuate. If you are facing an immediate move or rent hike now , supply-side policies offer little short-term relief.

  • Accommodation Supplement Adequacy: Relying on adjustments to the Accommodation Supplement (National, TOP) depends heavily on government settings, asset/cash thresholds, and whether future increases actually keep pace with private rental inflation in your region. [Newstalk ZB]

  • Coalition Realities: Under New Zealand's MMP voting system, no single party usually governs alone. Whichever party you vote for may have to compromise during post-election coalition negotiations, meaning specific promises (like a 2% rent cap or a dedicated seniors plan) might be diluted or dropped in government.

Next Steps to Compare

You can review and compare individual electorate candidates and full party manifestos in detail using the Policy.nz Election Guide or check specific organizational positions via Grey Power New Zealand.

Ask anything

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AI Overviews · No location

I'm retired and still rent. NZ Super is my main income, and I am worried about rent increases or needing to move again. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Who should I vote for if my main aim is to keep a secure, affordable home on NZ Super? Explain the reasons and uncertainties.

AI Overview

Securing an affordable home as a retiree on NZ Super is a critical concern, especially as 20% of New Zealanders over 65 are now renters.

The major political parties ahead of the 7 November 2026 General Election offer fundamentally different strategies to address rental security and cost. Some favor strict regulations to directly protect tenants, while others believe reducing costs for landlords will increase the supply of housing and naturally keep rents down.

A direct comparison of what each party's platform offers a retired renter outlines the core policy differences and their associated uncertainties:

Comparing Party Policies for Retired Renters

Party Tenancy & Rent Regulations Social Housing & Subsidies NZ Superannuation Stance
Green Party Caps rent increases at 2% annually ; scraps 90-day no-cause evictions. Promises tens of thousands of new public homes and a state-owned, not-for-profit retirement village scheme. Supports a universal pension and opposes raising the eligibility age from 65.
Labour Party Promises to make renting fairer; previously removed 90-day no-cause evictions and has criticized current landlord protections. Commits to 6,000 new social housing places ; vows to reverse the coalition's planned social housing rent hikes. Supports keeping the age of eligibility at 65 but remains open to means-testing ultra-high earners.
National Party Restored 90-day no-cause evictions to encourage landlords to rent out properties; fully restored interest deductibility for landlords to lower costs. Upgraded the maximum Accommodation Supplement by $10–$30/week in Budget 2026, though it raised social housing rent contribution minimums to 30%. Highlights expanded local council rates rebates for older New Zealanders and protects basic superannuation.
ACT New Zealand Favors a free-market approach; argues that reducing regulatory burdens on landlords keeps private market rental stock plentiful. Opposes major state-led market interventions or subsidies that distort housing markets. Advocates for long-term changes to ensure affordability, including gradually raising the eligibility age.
NZ First Focuses heavily on domestic market stabilization rather than tenancy caps. Proposes a dedicated Seniors Housing Plan and resources to support "ageing in place". Seeks to restrict NZ Super to citizens only from 2029 to protect the fund's financial sustainability.

Understanding the Risks and Uncertainties

No political promise comes with a complete guarantee. Each approach features distinct trade-offs:

  • The Left-Leaning Approach (Greens, Labour): Capping rent increases and removing no-cause evictions provides immediate price certainty and protection from sudden displacement. However, critics argue that harsh restrictions and taxes—like Labour's proposed 28% Capital Gains Tax on investment properties—may prompt mom-and-pop landlords to exit the market. This could shrink the total number of private rentals available, making it harder to secure a new lease if you do have to move. NZ Election 2026 and Your Money: What Investors Should KnowGreen Party election housing policy: Rent increase caps, a rentalGreens promise to cap rent rises at 2 percent a yearI Ranked Every Party's Property Policy [NZ Election 2026]

  • The Right-Leaning Approach (National, ACT): Restoring interest deductibility and easing rules aims to make being a landlord cheaper, under the theory that greater rental supply prevents aggressive rent hikes. However, allowing 90-day no-cause evictions introduces an element of tenure insecurity , leaving vulnerable tenants exposed if a landlord decides to repurpose or sell the property unexpectedly.

  • The Subsidy Dilemma: The National-led coalition's boost to the Accommodation Supplement provides extra cash to meet costs. However, Labour argues that increasing these supplements simply acts as a taxpayer-funded subsidy for private landlords , who may respond by increasing rents to absorb the extra cash.

  • Coalition Dynamics: Because New Zealand utilizes the MMP voting system, no single party is likely to govern alone. Final policies are heavily watered down or traded away during post-election coalition negotiations.

To help me give you more relevant context, could you tell me:

  • Do you currently qualify for or receive the Accommodation Supplement?

  • Is your immediate worry more about the financial cost of rent hikes or the physical stability of staying in your current home?

Ask anything

Captured 5 October 2026 · shown as AI Overviews gave it, not a verified account