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

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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

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. Would party policies change NZ Super or other support for older people who do not own a home?

Yes. For someone already retired, renting privately, and relying mainly on NZ Super, the biggest policy differences in the 2026 election are more likely to concern housing/rent assistance and the long-term rules for NZ Super than an immediate cut to your current Super payment. The election is on 7 November 2026. General Election to be held on 7 November | Beehive.govt.nz

Here is the practical comparison as of 4 October 2026.

NZ Super itself

Party What it is proposing What that means if you're already retired
National Keep universal NZ Super, but gradually raise the eligibility age from 65 to 67, starting in 2044. No proposed change to the eligibility of people already receiving Super. Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super - Local Matters
Labour Keep eligibility at 65 and says it will not means-test NZ Super. No proposed reduction or age increase for current retirees. Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super - Local Matters
Green Party Keep NZ Super universal and has not backed raising the eligibility age; says Super should be sufficient for older people's everyday costs. No proposed change to your basic entitlement. Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super - Local Matters
NZ First Says it does not support changing NZ Super's entitlement or eligibility, but has proposed that from 2029 only NZ citizens would qualify. This could matter if someone receiving Super is not a New Zealand citizen. Winston Peters: "Citizenship and Superannuation" - New Zealand First
ACT Gradually raise the eligibility age to 67; people with at least 20 years of physically demanding work could qualify from 65. ACT says existing superannuitants would not have their entitlement changed. ACT New Zealand

NZ Super itself is currently adjusted annually for inflation and the after-tax average wage. What about Superannuitants?

So, if you are already receiving NZ Super, I would separate two questions: “Will my existing Super stop or be cut?” and “What will happen to my housing costs and other support?” The published policies currently show much more action on the second question.

The particularly important issue for you: renting

There is already a significant change taking effect in April 2027, before the next election after this one.

The current government has increased the maximum Accommodation Supplement for private renters by $10–$30 a week, depending on circumstances and location. The existing rules allow some people receiving NZ Super to receive Accommodation Supplement if they meet the income, asset and accommodation-cost tests. Changes to housing support | Work and Income

But the government's wider housing changes also increase the minimum rent contribution for social-housing tenants from 25% to 30% of assessable income. Social Housing and Welfare - Budget 2026 - 28 May 2026

That produces quite different approaches between the parties:

National / current government

National is backing the existing approach of more targeted assistance to private renters, rather than treating affordability alone as grounds for a social-housing place. It is also supporting more social housing and has announced a $69 million increase to the Flexible Fund, expected to provide up to 2,250 additional social homes over three years. Delivering fairer social housing | National Party

For a private renter, the important part is the higher Accommodation Supplement. However, it doesn't guarantee that your rent won't rise.

Labour

Labour has taken a noticeably different position. It has said that a Labour government would not increase state-house rents or increase the Accommodation Supplement paid to private renters, arguing that increasing the subsidy can simply allow rents to rise further. Instead, it says it would concentrate on building more affordable and community housing. Labour Rules Out Social Housing Rent Increase | Scoop News

That is an important distinction for someone in your position: Labour's approach is less about paying more towards a private landlord and more about increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Green Party

The Greens are proposing substantially stronger renter protections. Their 2026 housing campaign calls for rent increases to be capped at 2% a year, more public housing, and extension of income-related rent subsidies to council housing. Leave our homes alone! - action.greens.org.nz

They have also argued that increasing Accommodation Supplement can end up being absorbed into higher rents, and have advocated stronger controls on rents rather than relying principally on subsidies. Option 7: change the Accommodation Supplement instead - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

For someone worried specifically about being forced to move because the landlord raises the rent, this is a particularly relevant policy difference to examine.

ACT

ACT supports the current government's housing changes. Its position is that support should be shifted toward low-income private renters, while social housing should be more tightly targeted and should not necessarily become a permanent housing arrangement. ACT New Zealand

That approach could be relevant if you are a private renter and qualify for Accommodation Supplement, but it takes a different view from the Greens and Labour about rent regulation and long-term social housing.

One thing I would pay particular attention to

If your biggest fear is not simply the amount of NZ Super, but having to move because your rent becomes unaffordable, I would compare parties on these four questions rather than just looking at their headline Super policies:

  1. Will the Accommodation Supplement increase, decrease, or stay unchanged?
  2. Will there be a limit on how quickly your landlord can increase the rent?
  3. How many affordable/public/community houses will be built, and who qualifies for them?
  4. What security of tenure will older renters have if their landlord wants them to leave?

Those questions could make a much larger difference to your day-to-day finances than a change to the basic NZ Super rate.

There is also an important point about National's NZ Super proposal: although raising the eligibility age to 67 sounds significant, its proposed change starts in 2044, and the published policy says it would not affect people born before 1979. So it is primarily a policy affecting younger generations rather than today's retirees. Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super - Local Matters

If you tell me roughly whether you rent privately or through Kāinga Ora/community housing, and whether you receive Accommodation Supplement, I can make a much more useful side-by-side comparison of National, Labour, Greens, NZ First and ACT specifically for your situation — including what could happen to your weekly disposable income and housing security.

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 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. Would party policies change NZ Super or other support for older people who do not own a home?

Navigating retirement while renting can bring significant uncertainty, particularly regarding housing stability and the cost of living. Ahead of the 2026 general election, political parties have put forward distinct proposals that directly or indirectly affect older renters, touching on New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super), renter protections, and housing support.


1. New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) Settings

  • Universal Age & Rate Commitments: Major parties like Labour, New Zealand First, and the Greens strongly support keeping universal NZ Super starting at age 65 and tied to the net average wage (with NZ First explicitly campaigning to maintain the 66% benchmark). Labour has ruled out changing current superannuation settings.
  • Proposals for Change: ACT supports gradually lifting the age of eligibility above 65, arguing that current settings are fiscally unsustainable over the long term.

2. Renter Protections and Rent Regulation

Because you do not own a home, the stability of your tenancy and the speed of rent increases are likely key concerns. Parties are heavily divided here:

  • Caps and Tenancy Rules: The Green Party is campaigning strongly on a Renters’ Rights package, which includes capping annual rent increases at 2%, removing no-cause evictions, and introducing a mandatory rental warrant of fitness. Te Pāti Māori and Labour also support stronger renter protections (with Labour previously implementing tenancy law overhauls while in government).
  • Opposition to Rent Controls: Parties such as National, ACT, and NZ First strongly oppose rent caps. They argue that price controls reduce the overall supply of rental properties, restrict property rights, and can ultimately make finding a home harder. Instead, they focus on supply-side solutions and encouraging private landlord investment to manage rental costs through market competition.

3. Housing Support and Cost of Living Assistance

  • Accommodation Supplement: Support for renters on fixed incomes heavily relies on the Accommodation Supplement system. Alternative policy adjustments are also on the table from smaller parties—for instance, The Opportunities Party (TOP) has proposed replacing the traditional Accommodation Supplement with a universal housing payment.
  • Aged Care and Seniors Housing: Parties like New Zealand First have emphasized dedicated seniors' housing plans and better coordination for ageing-in-place initiatives to support older citizens who require stable housing options.

When deciding your vote, it is worth weighing whether you prefer parties that advocate for direct market interventions (such as rent caps and increased public housing supply) or those that favor supply-side economic measures and maintaining the status quo on landlord regulations.

Are there specific types of housing security or cost-of-living support that matter most to you as you review the options?

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 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. Would party policies change NZ Super or other support for older people who do not own a home?

Navigating retirement as a renter when NZ Super is your primary income is a significant concern, especially with housing costs and the stability of your living situation on the line.

For the upcoming general election on November 7, 2026, political parties have outlined various stances that directly or indirectly impact older New Zealanders who do not own their own homes.

  • New Zealand First (NZ First): Has proposed restricting future eligibility for NZ Superannuation to New Zealand citizens only starting from 2029, arguing that the cost of providing super to resident visa holders needs tightening. They have not campaigned on lowering the baseline rate of NZ Super for existing beneficiaries, but shifts to eligibility criteria form a core part of their platform.

  • National Party: Current policy focuses heavily on broader housing supply and economic management, alongside support mechanisms like the Accommodation Supplement (administered via MSD), though major structural overhaul or special increases directed exclusively at older renters have not been the centerpiece of their immediate 2026 campaign announcements compared to first-home buyer schemes. [RNZ]

  • Labour, Greens, and Te Pāti Māori: Generally focus their housing policies on strengthening renter rights (such as tackling tenure security, challenging unjustified rent increases, and boosting public/social housing stock), which indirectly offers leverage to older non-homeowners vulnerable to displacement. However, they remain committed to protecting the universal nature of NZ Super at its current indexation (linked to average wages).

Support for non-homeowning retirees typically ties closely to NZ Super settings and supplementary assistance like the Accommodation Supplement or income-related rent settings for public housing.

To help you narrow down which party aligns best with your security and income needs, would you like to explore:

  • How the Accommodation Supplement or other Work and Income supports factor into each party's platform?

  • Specific tenant rights and tenancy law reform proposals from the major parties?

Ask anything

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

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. Would party policies change NZ Super or other support for older people who do not own a home?

AI Overview

It is completely understandable to feel anxious about housing security and rent costs when relying on a fixed income like NZ Super. For retirees who rent, political policies around superannuation settings, rental protections, and financial top-ups heavily influence day-to-day stability.

For the 2026 New Zealand general election , major political parties have put forward distinct positions regarding NZ Super and housing support:

New Zealand Superannuation Settings

While no major party plans to cut current universal superannuation entitlements, they differ on eligibility rules:

  • National: Supports a universal, non-means-tested superannuation model, but has historically advocated for raising the eligibility age to 67 in the future.

  • Labour, Greens, and New Zealand First: Have firmly committed to keeping the age of eligibility at 65.

  • New Zealand First: Specifically pledges to restrict NZ Super to citizens only starting in 2029 and to maintain payments at 66% of the net average wage.

Housing & Rental Support Policies

If you do not own a home, changes to rental caps and the Accommodation Supplement are critical to your budget:

Party Housing & Rental Support Policy for the 2026 Election
National Following Budget 2026, the maximum rates for the Accommodation Supplement will rise by $10 to $30 a week starting April 1, 2027. This change is designed to assist low-income renters. National also excludes superannuitants from a planned reduction in Temporary Additional Support (TAS).
Labour Opposes National's broader social housing subsidies restructuring. For renters, Labour intends to introduce rental stability measures, including limiting annual rent increases to 2 percent. They have also pledged to build 6,000 more social housing places over four years.
Green Party Focuses heavily on renters' rights, advocating for stricter rent controls, comprehensive rental caps, and expanding public housing so older non-homeowners have guaranteed tenure.
New Zealand First Focuses on prioritizing NZ citizens for social housing vacancies and supports shared-equity schemes to help people exit the rental market, though this is primarily geared toward younger first-home buyers.

You can explore a comprehensive breakdown of all up-to-date party positions using Policy.nz, which allows you to compare senior and housing policies directly side-by-side.

To help tailor this, would you like to look closer at social housing availability or the specific rules for the upcoming Accommodation Supplement changes?

Ask anything

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