Every question, every answer, every source

For a café owner, the clearest differences are over how much wage costs should be regulated, how much flexibility employers should have, and whether government should subsidise training/hiring. As of 4 October 2026, here is the picture for the main parties.

At a glance

Party	Minimum wage	Employment rules	Hiring & training
National	No new 2026 increase announced; current $23.95	Generally supports employer flexibility; current government has already loosened several rules	More trades training and business support, but less direct wage subsidy for ordinary café hiring
Labour	Has criticised the 2% 2026 increase, but has not announced a specific 2026 minimum-wage rate	More worker/collective protections than current settings, but detailed 2026 employment-law changes are less explicit	Strongest direct hiring/training support: expanded Apprenticeship Boost, $500/month for two years, $1,000 toolbox grant, mentoring
ACT	Freeze $23.95 adult minimum for 3 years; introduce 60% training wage for under-20s	Further flexibility: easier exits, tighter personal-grievance deadlines, voluntary union-fee deductions	Training wage explicitly intended to make young workers cheaper to hire
Green	Raise minimum wage to the Living Wage, currently $29.90	Reverse/rework recent employer-flexibility changes; stronger collective bargaining and default union membership	Public investment in skills and worker protections; less emphasis on reducing employers' wage costs
NZ First	Supports exploring at least $25, with a business tax concession to offset costs	Supports employer flexibility including 90-day trials for small businesses	Supports apprenticeships, vocational training and employer assistance with training

The minimum-wage figures and party positions above are documented by current government and party/industry sources. Minimum wage rates and types | Employment New Zealand

1. National

National's current approach is comparatively pro-business but not as aggressive as ACT's proposed wage freeze.

The adult minimum wage is now $23.95 after a 2% increase on 1 April 2026. The National-led Government described that increase as a compromise between workers' cost-of-living pressures and business costs. I haven't found a National 2026 election commitment for another specific minimum-wage rate. Minimum wage increase balances business and worker needs | Beehive.govt.nz

On employment rules, the important point is that the current Government has already changed the rules. Since February 2026, new employees no longer have to spend their first 30 days on collective-agreement terms, contractor status has a new statutory test, and employees earning $200,000+ generally cannot bring an unjustified-dismissal personal grievance. Employment Relations Act changes take effect today | Employment New Zealand

National's 2026 economic plan emphasises cutting red tape, productivity, investment and more trades training, rather than a new café-specific hiring subsidy. National’s Economic Plan backs Kiwis to get ahead | National Party

It has also provided free business-resilience training through the Regional Business Partner Network, although that is business-management training rather than a subsidy for each person you employ. Package to support small businesses announced | National Party

For a café: National's approach largely means keep the existing employment settings, pursue productivity/growth and limit regulatory costs, rather than substantially changing your wage bill.

2. Labour

Labour is more focused on supporting workers' pay and publicly subsidising the cost of developing skills.

One significant caveat: despite criticising the Government's 2% minimum-wage increase as inadequate, Labour has not, as of the latest policy material, specified a new 2027 minimum-wage figure. Minimum Wage - Retail NZ

Where Labour is particularly concrete is training. Its expanded Apprenticeship Boost would:

• pay employers $500 per month for two years, rather than one;
• extend eligibility to five additional fields;
• provide eligible apprentices with a $1,000 toolbox grant;
• introduce structured mentoring. Labour's Apprenticeship Boost Expansion

Labour also proposes $21m annually for Māori-led vocational training and a "Start Work Now" programme supporting nearly 30,000 apprentices. Labour's 2026 Election Policies

For small businesses generally, Labour proposes a $10,000 asset write-off, raising the GST registration threshold from $60,000 to $80,000, faster payment of small-business invoices and a requirement for government agencies to consider small-business impacts when making new rules. Release: Labour is backing small business to grow

For a café: Labour's particularly relevant offer is that if you take on someone through an eligible apprenticeship/training pathway, government would cover a meaningful part of the training cost. That's different from simply lowering the minimum wage.

3. ACT

ACT has the most explicit proposal aimed at reducing the cost and risk of hiring entry-level workers.

Its September 2026 small-business package would:

• freeze the adult minimum wage at $23.95 for three years;
• introduce a training wage equal to 60% of the adult minimum wage for under-20s, for their first 12 months with an employer;
• allow protected negotiations over a consensual employment exit;
• require personal-grievance proceedings to be lodged within three months;
• make union-fee payroll deductions voluntary. ACT New Zealand

At today's adult rate, 60% would be about $14.37/hour. That's a proposed rate, not the current legal minimum.

ACT's argument is explicitly that high minimum wages and employment regulation can discourage small businesses from taking a chance on inexperienced workers. ACT outlines policy to freeze adult minimum wage for three years

For a café: this is the proposal with the most direct potential effect on the cost of hiring a young, inexperienced employee—but it also represents the largest proposed reduction in the statutory wage floor for that group.

4. Green Party

The Greens take almost the opposite approach.

They support lifting the minimum wage to the Living Wage; the 2026/27 Living Wage rate is $29.90/hour. Minimum Wage - Retail NZ

They also want to strengthen collective bargaining. In July they announced that default union membership for new employees would be an election policy, while retaining an individual's ability to opt out. They have also said they would reverse recent employment-law changes they regard as weakening workers' rights. Green Party calls for union membership as default setting for new employees - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

So the Green approach is not primarily about making labour cheaper for small employers. It is about higher statutory/collective pay and stronger employment protections, alongside government action to address workers' living costs.

For a café: the obvious direct consideration is that a $29.90 minimum would be substantially above today's $23.95—although the Greens argue that higher incomes and stronger worker protections have wider economic benefits.

5. New Zealand First

NZ First occupies a somewhat different position.

Its published employment policy supports exploring an adult minimum wage of at least $25, coupled with a business tax concession intended to offset the increased operating cost. Minimum Wage - Retail NZ

It also supports restoring/expanding 90-day trials for small businesses and has long emphasised apprenticeships, vocational education and employer assistance with training. Its published policy includes restoring a Targeted Trade & Apprenticeship Fund and helping SMEs with staff training and apprenticeships. 2023 Election Policies - NZ First

NZ First says it has historically pushed for annual minimum-wage increases while also advocating apprenticeship and vocational-training support. "Power to the People" - Winston Peters - State of the Nation 2026 - New Zealand First

For a café: its combination is relatively distinctive—higher minimum pay than today's level, but an attempt to compensate businesses through tax relief and maintain hiring flexibility.

What this means specifically for a small café

Given your particular concerns, there are three separate questions worth keeping apart:

1. "How much will I have to pay someone?"
   ACT proposes the biggest reduction in the statutory cost of inexperienced young workers; National has not proposed a new reduction; NZ First proposes at least $25; the Greens propose $29.90; Labour has not yet specified a new figure. Minimum Wage - Retail NZ

2. "How risky is it to hire someone who might not work out?"
   ACT places the strongest emphasis on reducing that risk. National/current Government settings already provide considerably more flexibility than before 2023, including 90-day trials and the 2026 employment-law changes. Greens would move in the opposite direction. ACT New Zealand

3. "Will government help me train someone?"
   Labour has the most specific current election commitment here: $500/month for two years through Apprenticeship Boost, plus mentoring and a $1,000 toolbox grant. NZ First also advocates employer assistance for apprenticeships/training, while National is emphasising broader trades training rather than an equivalent café-employer payment. Labour's Apprenticeship Boost Expansion

One important distinction: not all of these policies would necessarily affect a normal café employee. Apprenticeship Boost, for example, is targeted at eligible apprentices/trades rather than simply paying a café for taking on a casual barista or kitchen hand.

If you want to make the comparison more concrete, I can also lay out what each party's policies could mean for a café with, say, 4–8 employees—using actual hourly wage costs, training subsidies, employment-law flexibility and tax changes side-by-side, without telling you which party to vote for.