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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 have a school-age child who needs additional learning support. Getting suitable help at school is my main concern, and I sometimes reduce paid work to care for them. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What support do parties propose for parents who cut back paid work to care for a child?

Parties’ proposals vary, and many are focused more broadly on disability support, education, benefits, and family costs rather than a specific payment for parents who reduce paid work to care for a child. Current published 2026 policy information indicates: Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026

Party Relevant proposals for families caring for children needing extra support
National Party of New Zealand Has focused on changes to disability support services and making access easier for disabled people and carers. A direct wage replacement payment for parents leaving work to provide care has not been identified in the available policy summaries. Disability Policies of New Zealand's Political Parties – 2026
New Zealand Labour Party Has published disability and education-related policies; available summaries do not show a specific carer-income payment for parents reducing work. Labour has highlighted education system changes and support for public services. Disability Policies of New Zealand's Political Parties – 2026
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand Disability policy coverage includes broader support measures; summaries note proposals such as stronger disability supports, but no specific payment replacing lost wages for parents caring for children was identified. Disability Policies of New Zealand's Political Parties – 2026
The Opportunities Party Has proposed a universal income-style approach and a disability allowance as part of its wider welfare changes, which could affect carers depending on final design and eligibility rules. How do the different parties fare on disability issues this election?
Te Pāti Māori / ACT New Zealand / New Zealand First Available summaries reviewed did not identify a specific policy paying parents for reducing work to care for a child. Disability Policies of New Zealand's Political Parties – 2026

For a parent in your situation, the closest policy areas to compare are likely:

  • Learning support at school (specialist teachers, teacher aides, assessments, inclusion).
  • Disability support funding and respite/care assistance.
  • Benefit and tax-credit settings for households where a parent cannot work full-time because of caring responsibilities.
  • Flexible work and employment protections for carers.

The major parties’ detailed policies may continue to change before the 2026 election. Our Policies - New Zealand Labour Party 2026 A useful comparison question for candidates is: “If a child needs substantial school support and a parent must reduce paid hours to provide care, what direct financial help is available to that family?”

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Gemini · No location

I have a school-age child who needs additional learning support. Getting suitable help at school is my main concern, and I sometimes reduce paid work to care for them. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What support do parties propose for parents who cut back paid work to care for a child?

Navigating the education system for a child who needs additional learning support while balancing your own career and income is a significant challenge. In New Zealand’s political landscape, parties approach this intersection of disability/learning support, education funding, and caregiver income support through different lenses.

Political parties generally focus on systemic changes to the education sector and income assistance frameworks rather than direct wage-replacement grants specifically for parents who choose to reduce work hours to care for school-age children with learning needs.

Key Party Approaches & Proposals

Party Focus Approach to Learning Support & Caregiver/Family Support
National Party Focuses on economic management, fiscal stability of disability and support services, national consistency, and targeted support. Their approach typically relies on economic settings that aim to reduce the cost of living and incentivize workforce participation, alongside initiatives like FamilyBoost (though primarily targeted at early childhood education childcare costs up to age 5) rather than direct wage compensation for parents of school-age children.
Labour Party Generally advocates for a rights-based model aligned with the Enabling Good Lives framework. Historically emphasizes expanding centralized learning support within schools—such as growing the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) and increasing Learning Support Coordinators—to relieve pressure on families and schools, alongside baseline income support and Working for Families tax credits.
Green Party Proposes more direct structural interventions, including holding schools accountable for disability funding, funding new Learning Support Centres within mainstream schools, and allocating needs-based special education funding directly tied to student numbers. For caregivers and low-income families, they advocate for broader income support reforms (such as expanding entitlements and addressing poverty traps like benefit abatement rates).
ACT New Zealand Generally favors individualised, direct funding models and reduced bureaucracy in public services. Their broader economic policies focus on tax relief and reducing government spending, aiming to give families more personal control over financial resources rather than expanding state-managed welfare programs.
Te Pāti Māori Focuses on culturally grounded support systems, proposing measures such as funding schools to hire additional Māori and specialized support staff, expanding community-led resources, and increasing financial recognition and support for whānau caregivers and community-led disability frameworks (such as a Mana Hauā Authority).

Existing Mainstream Support Systems to Keep in Mind

If you have reduced your paid hours, you may already be navigating or eligible for existing government provisions:

  • The Supported Living Payment (SLP): Mainstream income support available for people who have a health condition, injury, or disability, or who are full-time carers for someone who would otherwise require health or disability-related care. Strict medical and income criteria apply.
  • Child Disability Allowance: A fortnightly non-taxable benefit paid to the main carer of a child or young person with a serious disability or medical condition, acknowledging the extra care required.
  • Carer Support: Subsidies provided through Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) to help reimburse the costs of taking a break from caring duties.
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 have a school-age child who needs additional learning support. Getting suitable help at school is my main concern, and I sometimes reduce paid work to care for them. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What support do parties propose for parents who cut back paid work to care for a child?

New Zealand political parties have not yet released full, dedicated policy platforms specifically targeting parents who reduce paid work for learning-support caregiving ahead of the late 2026 general election cycle, though general income support, disability assistance, and education resourcing remain active areas of debate. Because specific and comprehensive 2026 election manifestos with precise financial packages for this exact cohort are still emerging closer to the parliamentary term's end, general party approaches to family assistance, carer support, and learning assistance provide the primary framework for comparison.

General Party Approaches to Carers and Family Support

  • National Party: Tends to focus broad family assistance through tax relief, inflation adjustments to income tax thresholds, and economic management aimed at lowering the cost of living for working households, alongside targeted funding models in education rather than direct universal caregiver benefit expansions.

  • Labour Party: Generally emphasizes strengthening centralized public services, boosting baseline Working for Families or benefit indexing, and increasing direct funding to schools and Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) services to reduce the burden on parents at home. [Facebook·Christopher Luxon]

  • Green Party / Te Pāti Māori: Frequently advocate for broader welfare overhauls, including guaranteed baseline incomes or dedicated independent financial support for full-time carers and disabled children's whānau, alongside significant expansions to specialist staffing within the public education system.

To compare specific evolving manifestos and track updated policy toolkits as parties release them for the 2026 campaign, you can consult the non-partisan Policy.nz Guide or check official electoral administration details via the Electoral Commission.

To help narrow down what you are looking for in party policies, could you tell me:

  • Whether you are more interested in direct financial payments/tax credits for carers or in-school resourcing (like teacher aides)?

  • Which particular political parties you would like detailed positions on?

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AI Overviews · No location

I have a school-age child who needs additional learning support. Getting suitable help at school is my main concern, and I sometimes reduce paid work to care for them. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What support do parties propose for parents who cut back paid work to care for a child?

AI Overview

For the 2026 New Zealand general election , political parties have offered contrasting approaches regarding learning support in schools and financial assistance for parents or carers who reduce their paid work hours.

The main debate centers around the Disability Support Services Act passed by the National-led coalition government. Here is a direct breakdown of where the major political parties stand on these two core concerns.

⚖️ Comparison of Party Stances for the 2026 Election

Political Party Position on Learning & Disability Support Services Stance on Income Support & Financial Assistance for Carers
National Defends its recent legislative changes, arguing the Disability Support Services Act establishes a sustainable, structured framework for long-term funding stability. Prefers to manage support within general welfare settings rather than introducing new structural disability allowances or income reforms.
Labour Vows to repeal the Disability Support Services Act , claiming it gives ministers too much centralized control over who qualifies for aid. Promises to expand school resources. Focuses heavily on the care workforce with a $2.5 billion plan over four years to raise wages for professional care and support workers. Maintains current benefit structures for family carers.
Greens Opposes the Coalition's law changes for leaving out the community. Advocates for fully funded, inclusive learning support directly embedded within classrooms. Proposes structural changes including abolishing partnered means-testing and establishing a Guaranteed Minimum Income to protect families reducing their work hours.
ACT Supports individual choice and choice-based education frameworks. Backs the coalition’s fiscal structure to ensure funds are tightly managed and sustainable. Emphasizes tightened benefit obligations and reducing overall state welfare reliance rather than raising carer income support.
NZ First Supports reviewing operational grants and specific educational funding formulas like the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) to ensure efficiency. Focuses primary social welfare priorities on protecting New Zealand Superannuation rather than altering disability carer income settings.

🏫 Learning Support & School Assistance

  • The Coalition (National / ACT / NZ First): Emphasizes structural stability following independent reviews of disability funding. Their approach focuses on creating a predictable system that ensures schools can deliver baseline educational targets under the updated National Curriculum.

  • The Opposition (Labour / Greens / Te Pāti Māori): Argues that funding caps and structural shifts have created barriers for families seeking classroom aides or special resource allocations. They advocate for a system built alongside disabled people and their families to maximize individual independence.

💰 Financial Support for Reducing Work Hours

  • If you are looking for a party that intends to structurally reform the welfare safety net to specifically compensate unpaid family carers, the Green Party and Te Pāti Māori offer the most direct policies via income-guarantee models and removing spouse income limits.

  • If you favor a model that prioritizes general economic management, targeted professional care relief, or keeping current social settings intact to avoid increasing the tax burden, National , Labour , and ACT align closer to those objectives.

To help narrow down which policies might impact your family the most, would it help to look closely at how parties plan to reform the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) , or are you more interested in the specifics of how means-testing rules might change for home support allowances?

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