Search studies, brands and more…⌘ KExplore research

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 a Pacific voter in a multigenerational household with children and older relatives. Our main concerns are household costs, enough space and access to healthcare. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose about supporting older relatives who live with family rather than in residential care?

For a multigenerational household, the important distinction is between policies that directly support an older person living with family and policies that mainly address residential aged care, superannuation, or general healthcare.

As of 5 October 2026, the major parties' positions look roughly like this. I’m focusing on policies actually announced for the 2026 election, rather than older manifestos.

Party Support for older relatives living with family Housing / space Healthcare / in-home care
National Has a specific focus on recognising unpaid/informal carers through its new Mahi Aroha Carers’ Strategy Action Plan, covering carers' health and wellbeing, financial security and recognition. New roadmap for supporting unpaid carers | National Party National MPs have promoted 70m² granny flats as a way for ageing parents, extended whānau and young people to remain close to family. January Update from Katie Nimon | National Party Has supported home and community care; in April it temporarily increased mileage funding for workers providing care in people's homes. Increased mileage rates for home and community support workers | National Party
Labour I found less of a dedicated 2026 policy specifically for unpaid family carers, but its broader approach is to strengthen publicly funded health and community services rather than rely on families alone. Housing affordability is a major campaign theme, though I haven't found a 2026 policy specifically targeted at multigenerational/granny-flat households. Proposes three free GP visits a year for everyone and free prescriptions from July 2027. It also plans to double funding for graduate nurses in primary/community healthcare, explicitly including aged care. Labour's 2026 Election Policies
Green Party This is one of the clearest positions on the care burden falling on families. The Greens say carers should have appropriate support rather than family care being treated as a cost-saving substitute for public services. Disability Support Services Funding Consultation - Submission Guide - action.greens.org.nz Its 2026 manifesto puts substantial emphasis on affordable, warm, safe housing and intergenerational communities. Manifesto 2026 - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand Supports a long-term shift toward in-home care, with dignity and autonomy for older people. It also proposes restoring pay-equity arrangements for care workers, including those providing care in people's homes. Long-term investment in aged care can't wait - delaying it will only increase the cost - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
NZ First Its 2026 material is more focused on Super, rates relief and residential aged-care capacity than on payments or services specifically for family members caring for an older relative at home. Its earlier detailed seniors policy included higher Accommodation Supplement support and seniors' housing. Winston Peters: "Citizenship and Superannuation" Stronger emphasis on seniors' housing and keeping older people financially secure. Has advocated substantially more aged-care funding and healthcare access. Its current campaign also proposes restricting NZ Super eligibility to citizens, which could matter considerably for some older relatives in migrant/Pacific families. Winston Peters: "Citizenship and Superannuation"
ACT ACT has previously proposed individualised in-home-care funding, allowing older people and their families greater control over how their care funding is spent. I have not found a comparably detailed new 2026 announcement replacing that position. ACT New Zealand Generally emphasises individual choice and private provision rather than a large expansion of state-provided family-care support. Its current health policies emphasise patient choice, including advance directives; its older seniors policy has supported greater control over in-home-care funding. ACT New Zealand
Te Pāti Māori The party's approach is strongly centred on whānau wellbeing, Māori-led services and culturally appropriate care, but I found fewer specific 2026 commitments for non-residential elder care than from the Greens or National. Its broader housing and whānau policies are relevant, particularly where several generations share a household. Emphasises prevention, whānau wellbeing and Māori-led healthcare rather than a primarily institutional model. 2026 Election Policy Summaries - Apex

What this means for your particular situation

If your question is “What would help us keep an older parent/auntie/uncle living with the family rather than having to move into residential care?”, I'd look at four separate policy questions rather than simply comparing parties' aged-care promises:

  1. Can the household get enough physical space?
    This makes National's granny-flat/extended-whānau housing proposals particularly relevant to investigate. January Update from Katie Nimon | National Party

  2. Can the family get practical care without one family member having to give up work?
    National's new unpaid-carer strategy and the Greens' position on properly supporting carers are directly relevant. New roadmap for supporting unpaid carers | National Party

  3. Can the older person obtain care at home?
    This is a bigger issue than residential beds. The government's own 2026 aged-care advisory report recommends expanding access to home-based care and making the system more person- and whānau-centred. A Place to Grow Old: Securing the future of aged care | Ministry of Health NZ

  4. Can the family afford the healthcare?
    Labour's proposed three free GP visits and free prescriptions are unusually straightforward household-cost measures, while other parties have different approaches to funding and access. Labour's 2026 Election Policies

One particularly important point for a Pacific multigenerational household is that “supporting older people” doesn't necessarily mean paying a pension or building more rest homes. The practical question is whether government will pay for services delivered into the family home—nursing, personal care, respite, meals, transport, home modifications and allied health—so that the family can continue providing the relational part of the care without carrying the whole financial and physical burden.

The independent 2026 aged-care review is useful here because it explicitly says the future system should be person- and whānau-centred, provide restorative care and help older people remain as independent as possible. Aged care funding and services model review

If you tell me whether your older relative is NZ-born or a migrant/Pacific Islander, and whether they're receiving NZ Super already, I can also compare the parties specifically on eligibility for Super, accommodation assistance, carer support, home-care funding and healthcare costs—which would get much closer to the financial impact on your household.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

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

Gemini · No location

I'm a Pacific voter in a multigenerational household with children and older relatives. Our main concerns are household costs, enough space and access to healthcare. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose about supporting older relatives who live with family rather than in residential care?

For Pacific voters and multigenerational households juggling household costs, space, and healthcare, supporting older relatives to age in place rather than moving into residential care is a crucial issue in the 2026 New Zealand general election.

Major political parties approach the broader issues of aged care, support for family carers, and housing options through distinct lenses:

1. Ageing in Place and Community Care

  • New Zealand First: Has identified aged-care and primary health sector reform as major priorities. They propose a dedicated Seniors Housing Plan and expanded options specifically aimed at supporting older people to stay in their homes and communities rather than entering institutional care.
  • National Party: Centers its approach on economic management, stabilizing health and disability support systems, and keeping housing more affordable. Their focus is on greater national consistency in needs assessments and flexibility within existing funding streams to help families manage care.
  • Labour Party: Focuses heavily on lowering the cost barriers to healthcare and strengthening community-based health networks. Their platform generally emphasizes rights-based, accessible health and disability support that assists families looking after relatives at home.

2. Housing Space for Multigenerational Living

Because multigenerational households require physical space (such as accessible modifications or extra rooms), housing policy directly intersects with elder care:

  • The Opportunities Party (TOP): Proposes introducing interest-free rates deferrals for older homeowners and moving toward universal housing payments to ease financial pressures on households.
  • Te Pāti Māori: Emphasizes investment in Māori housing and papakāinga development, which is built specifically to accommodate traditional whānau/family living structures and accessibility needs.
  • Green Party: Advocates for large-scale public and community housing builds with mandatory universal design standards to ensure homes are accessible by default for older or disabled family members.

3. Financial Support and Relief for Caregivers

Supporting older relatives at home places significant physical and financial demands on family caregivers (who often rely on mechanisms like Health New Zealand's Carer Support subsidy or needs-assessment coordination through local NASC services):

  • The Green Party and Labour: Place strong emphasis on boosting incomes, supporting social sector workers, and protecting pay equity to ensure that families providing unpaid care are not pushed into financial hardship.
  • National and ACT: Generally favor tighter fiscal controls on welfare and public spending while prioritizing broader economic growth to lower the overall cost of living for families.

Would you like to explore how to access existing government support schemes (like Carer Support or NASC assessments) for an older relative while you evaluate these party policies?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

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

Google AI Mode · No location

I'm a Pacific voter in a multigenerational household with children and older relatives. Our main concerns are household costs, enough space and access to healthcare. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose about supporting older relatives who live with family rather than in residential care?

For multigenerational Pacific households juggling housing space, daily living costs, and the health needs of older relatives, how parties approach "ageing in place"—supporting seniors within the family home rather than in institutional care—is a critical voting issue.

A breakdown of where the major political parties stand on supporting older New Zealanders at home, family caregiving, and addressing your overlapping concerns of cost and healthcare highlights several distinct approaches:

  • Green Party: Places a strong emphasis on community-based health support and direct assistance for family carers. To ease household crowding and space constraints, they propose building thousands of accessible public homes and introducing a state-owned, not-for-profit retirement village scheme. They also focus on broader cost-of-living and health measures like expanded home insulation and solar support.
  • The Opportunities Party (TOP): Emphasises ageing-in-place initiatives by bolstering community health services and targeted support for family carers. For household costs and housing, they propose replacing the Accommodation Supplement with a universal housing payment and introducing interest-free rates deferral for older homeowners. [greypowermag.co.nz]
  • New Zealand First: Has identified aged-care reform as a major priority, proposing a dedicated Seniors Housing Plan alongside expanded options specifically tailored to support ageing in place. They also maintain a strong commitment to keeping NZ Superannuation at 66% of the net average wage to assist with fixed retirement incomes.
  • National Party: Focuses heavily on broader economic growth, lowering the cost of living, and easing housing supply constraints. For older homeowners living with family or independently, they highlight mechanisms like expanded rates rebates and adjustments to the Accommodation Supplement rather than direct family-carer subsidies. [greypowermag.co.nz]
  • Labour Party: Directs its core senior and household policy toward lowering overall healthcare costs, implementing caps on public transport fares ($20 caps), and introducing measures aimed at cutting household energy bills. [greypowermag.co.nz]

When evaluating these platforms, you may want to look closer at how each party plans to fund home-based community healthcare services and whether their housing and cost-of-living packages directly target the financial and spatial pressures felt by multi-generational whānau. You can read detailed organisational breakdowns on platforms like Grey Power Magazine or review sector-specific advocacy via Inclusive World NZ. Aged Care and Home Support - Inclusive World NZ

Ask anything

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

AI Overviews · No location

I'm a Pacific voter in a multigenerational household with children and older relatives. Our main concerns are household costs, enough space and access to healthcare. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose about supporting older relatives who live with family rather than in residential care?

AI Overview

For multigenerational Pacific households, supporting older relatives to "age in place" involves overlapping needs for housing space, financial stability, and accessible healthcare. Heading into the 2026 New Zealand general election , political parties have offered distinct approaches to assisting families who care for their elderly relatives at home rather than using residential care.

The policy landscape generally splits into two visions: a governing coalition focusing on reduced red tape for multi-dwelling properties, and opposition parties looking to expand financial compensation, pay equity, and community-centered health services for family carers.

1. Housing & Living Space

Pacific aiga frequently require larger or adaptable homes to support intergenerational living comfortably without overcrowding.

  • National & ACT (The Coalition): The government has focused on relaxing resource consenting and zoning rules to make it significantly easier to build minor or subsidiary dwellings (such as "granny flats" or sleepouts) on existing family properties. This is intended to let families expand their living space on their own land to accommodate older relatives privately but closely.

  • The Green Party & Te Pāti Māori: Focus heavily on expanding public and social housing purposefully designed for extended whānau / large families , integrating cultural spaces rather than relying solely on private construction.

  • Labour: Backs ongoing funding for community-led and Pacific housing providers (similar to the intergenerational Central Pacific Collective project in Porirua) to establish homeownership tracks for large households.

2. Financial Support for Family Carers & Households

Keeping older relatives at home shifts the physical and financial burden onto the family. Recent political tension centers heavily on a Disability Support Services Bill introduced by the coalition to cap financial liabilities for unpaid care hours.

  • Labour & The Green Party: Both parties strongly oppose the coalition's limits on family carers. They pledge to fully fund and settle the long-standing care and support workers' pay equity claim , which would raise the baseline pay for home-care workers and funded family carers. They advocate for expanding direct financial assistance and guaranteed respite care for those looking after high-needs relatives at home.

  • National & NZ First: Emphasize broad cost-of-living relief through indexation of NZ Superannuation (keeping it tied to 66% of the average wage) to boost the older relative's independent income. NZ First has specifically designated wider aged-care sector reform as a key priority.

  • The Opportunities Party (TOP): Proposes a phased roll-out to expand Funded Family Care models, explicitly recognizing unpaid care work and providing greater targeted welfare to families managing high-needs relatives at home.

3. Healthcare Access & In-Home Support

Navigating health check-ups and in-home medical assistance is crucial for maintaining independence at home.

  • The Green Party & TOP: Put heavy policy emphasis on expanding community-based primary health services. Their goal is to move funding away from hospitals and into mobile or local clinics that service elderly patients in their own homes, ensuring better preventative care.

  • Labour: Focuses heavily on reducing primary healthcare costs—such as removing or lowering GP and prescription fees—to prevent household healthcare expenses from straining the family budget.

  • National: Argues that managing the broader economy and stabilizing health system workforce numbers will naturally reduce wait times for localized health and specialist assessment services.

Policy Comparison Summary

Focus Area National / ACT / NZ First (Coalition Approach) Labour / Greens / Te Pāti Māori (Opposition Approach)
Housing Space Red tape reduction ; easier rules for building subsidiary dwellings/granny flats on family land. Purpose-built social housing for extended families; funding for Pacific-designed village housing.
Carer Support Focus on protecting the value of NZ Super ; limiting Crown liability for extra unfunded hours via recent legislation. Commit to settling pay equity claims ; expanding direct funding, employment rights, and respite for family carers.
Healthcare System workforce stabilization and broad economic fixes to lower waitlists. Funding community and mobile primary care to help elderly relatives stay out of hospitals.

For deep dives into individual party manifestos or to review policy trackers closer to election day, you can check the interactive breakdowns compiled on Policy.nz and senior voter comparisons via the Grey Power Election Guide. Election Policy 2026 - Grey Power New Zealand Federation Inc

Ask anything

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