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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 migrated to New Zealand, have recently become a citizen and am eligible to vote. I work here, use English as a second language and want to understand both my options and the system. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties proposing about everyday living costs for working households?

Congratulations on becoming a New Zealand citizen and reaching the point where you can participate in elections. Understanding the issues and how parties differ is an important part of using your vote.

For the 2026 New Zealand general election, “everyday living costs” is a major theme. Parties generally differ on whether they think the best response is mainly tax relief and reducing government costs, increasing wages and public services, or changing markets and regulation to reduce prices. Cost of Living Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026 | WhichParty NZ

A quick guide to the main approaches:

Party / grouping Main cost-of-living approach for working households
National Party of New Zealand Emphasises economic growth, fiscal restraint, lower government spending growth, and tax policies intended to leave households with more disposable income. The government has argued that improving economic conditions and controlling spending are part of easing household pressure. New Zealand sees smaller budget deficit before election
New Zealand Labour Party Focuses more on household support through public services, wages, and targeted assistance. Labour has criticised reductions in public spending and argues that services can reduce household costs. New Zealand sees smaller budget deficit before election
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand Proposes broader government action to reduce essential costs, including policies involving public transport, health, housing, and other services. Cost of Living Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026 | WhichParty NZ
ACT New Zealand Argues that lowering taxes, reducing regulation, and limiting government size can improve affordability by allowing people to keep more of their income. Cost of Living Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026 | WhichParty NZ
New Zealand First Has emphasised issues such as competition, domestic economic interests, and policies aimed at reducing costs through structural changes in markets. Tighter New Zealand election race stokes investor fears on policy backflips
Te Pāti Māori Generally focuses on improving outcomes for households through income, equity, housing, and social policy measures. Record high support for New Zealand Greens boosts chance of centre-left coalition, poll shows

Issues that may matter most for a working household

1. Housing and rent

Housing costs are often the largest household expense. Parties differ on whether to focus on:

2. Food and supermarket prices

Possible approaches include:

3. Wages and employment

Working households may want to compare:

4. Taxes and take-home pay

The major difference is often:

  • Tax-cut approach: households keep more of their income, with fewer government programmes.
  • Public-service approach: households may pay more tax but receive more government-provided services that reduce private costs.

5. Transport and energy

These affect commuters and families:

Understanding your vote in New Zealand’s system

New Zealand uses MMP (Mixed Member Proportional representation). You get two votes:

  1. Party vote — determines the overall share of seats each party receives in Parliament.
  2. Electorate vote — chooses your local MP.
    The party vote is usually the main factor determining the balance of Parliament. Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026 - Policy.nz

Because you are a new citizen and an English learner, a useful way to compare parties is not just “who promises cheaper living,” but:

  • What costs do they target? (rent, food, transport, healthcare, tax)
  • Who receives the benefit? (all households, low-income households, workers, businesses)
  • How would they pay for it? (tax changes, spending cuts, borrowing, economic growth)
  • What trade-offs might exist?

A good neutral comparison tool is Policy.nz 2026 election policy comparison, which lets you compare policies by topic rather than only by party messaging.

If you want, I can also make a plain-English comparison specifically for a working migrant/new citizen household (rent, wages, tax, healthcare, childcare, transport, and savings).

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

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Gemini · No location

I migrated to New Zealand, have recently become a citizen and am eligible to vote. I work here, use English as a second language and want to understand both my options and the system. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties proposing about everyday living costs for working households?

Congratulations on becoming a New Zealand citizen and stepping up to vote in the 2026 General Election! Navigating a new political system—especially while using English as an additional language—can feel overwhelming, but your voice matters deeply as a working resident.

Cost of living, inflation, housing, and everyday expenses are central issues for working households in this election. Different political parties offer contrasting approaches to help ease financial pressure.

Key Themes and Party Approaches

Major political parties approach the cost of living through different economic levers, generally split between tax relief, government-funded services, and market competition.

1. Targeted Cost-of-Living Relief & Public Services

  • Labour Party: Focuses heavily on reducing direct household overheads through government-subsidized services. Their proposals include introducing three free General Practitioner (GP) visits a year, free prescriptions, and capping public transport fares at $20 a week to lower commuting costs. They also propose measures to tackle supermarket pricing and make price-gouging illegal to address checkout costs.
  • National and Center-Right Parties: Generally focus on easing pressure through tax adjustments (such as adjustments to tax thresholds to account for inflation) and curbing government spending to lower broader inflationary pressures that drive up interest rates and mortgage costs.

2. Employment and Worker Rights

  • Left and Labour-aligned perspectives (supported by unions like E tū): Advocate for strengthening worker protections to safeguard household incomes. This includes policies centered around restoring or protecting pay equity frameworks, supporting fair wage growth relative to inflation, and utilizing collective bargaining frameworks (such as Fair Pay Agreements) to lift baseline incomes for lower- and middle-income workers.
  • Right and ACT-aligned perspectives: Emphasize business growth, flexibility in the labor market, and removing regulatory burdens on employers. The argument here is that a thriving, unburdened business sector creates better-paying jobs and a stronger economy overall.

3. Housing and Renting Costs

Housing is typically the largest single expense for New Zealand households.

  • Parties on the Left often propose broader housing market interventions, such as tackling speculation through capital gains taxes (excluding the family home) or expanding public/social housing support to tame surging rents.
  • Parties on the Right tend to focus on increasing housing supply by loosening planning and zoning restrictions to make building houses faster and cheaper, thereby lowering costs through market competition.

Understanding the Voting System (MMP)

New Zealand uses a voting system called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP). When you vote, you generally get two main votes:

  1. Your Party Vote: This is the most important vote for determining the overall proportion of seats each party gets in Parliament. It decides which parties form the government.
  2. Your Electorate Vote: This votes for a local Member of Parliament (MP) to represent the specific geographic area where you live.

Tips for Deciding Your Vote

  • Focus on what impacts you most: If your biggest expenses are healthcare and transport, look closely at policies targeting health subsidies and public transit. If you are renting or trying to buy a home, focus on housing supply and property tax policies.
  • Use neutral comparison tools: Websites like Policy.nz allow you to compare what different political parties are promising side-by-side across categories like the economy, housing, and healthcare.

Would you like help exploring what specific parties are proposing regarding housing or healthcare costs?

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 migrated to New Zealand, have recently become a citizen and am eligible to vote. I work here, use English as a second language and want to understand both my options and the system. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties proposing about everyday living costs for working households?

Welcome to New Zealand, congratulations on your citizenship, and thank you for participating in your first general election! Navigating a new political system—especially while managing English as an additional language—can feel overwhelming, but understanding how your vote links to your everyday expenses as a working household is a great place to start.

In the lead-up to the 2026 New Zealand General Election , major political parties are focusing heavily on the cost of living, targeting everyday expenses like energy bills, transport, housing, and family tax supports.

Overview of Major Party Approaches (2026)

  • The New Zealand National Party focuses heavily on energy market reform, supply-side solutions, and targeted tax/family credit adjustments.
  • Energy & Power Bills: Proposes making "affordability" a legal requirement for the Electricity Authority, launching a Home Energy Fund (low-interest long-term loans for solar and home energy tech) to help lower household power bills, and increasing market competition.
  • Cost-of-Living Relief / Working Families: Emphasises previous and targeted adjustments to family tax credits, Working for Families boosts, and in-work tax credits aimed at supporting low-to-middle-income working households through global economic volatility.
  • The New Zealand Labour Party centres its cost-of-living pitch on capping essential services, direct sector pay increases, and targeted anti-gouging/renewable measures.
  • Transport & Essentials: Proposes a $20 weekly public transport cap, free prescriptions, and a policy to ban price gouging on essential grocery and daily items.
  • Energy & Incomes: Proposes a "SolarSaver" scheme to boost rooftop solar and lower household electricity bills. They have also pledged immediate sector pay increases (such as for care and support workers) and restoring specific pay-equity frameworks.
  • The Green Party approaches the cost of living via income redistribution, tax credits, and public support.
  • Income & Food Support: Proposes progressive tax changes, including higher income tax brackets for top earners, alongside targeted support like an "Income Tax Kai Credit" aimed at lower-income earners to offset food and essential living costs.
  • The ACT Party focuses on broad tax reduction and structural economic changes.
  • Tax Relief: Advocates for lower, flatter income tax structures to let working households keep more of what they earn, alongside removing taxes on KiwiSaver earnings to help household savings grow faster. [RNZ]
  • New Zealand First emphasizes family-centric and nationalist support policies.
  • Families & Savings: Proposes targeted grants for families (such as the Kiwi Kids Grant) and automatic KiwiSaver enrollment with government seed contributions for newborns who are citizens. [RNZ]

How to Explore Further and Decide Your Vote

Because political platforms involve a wide blend of taxation, public spending, and economic philosophies, you can use independent tools to see how different policies directly map onto a household like yours:

  1. Compare Side-by-Side Policies: Use Policy.nz to look up specific everyday issues (like renting, power bills, or transport) and see how every registered party answers them.
  2. Interactive Budget Tools: Media outlets like RNZ Election 2026 Coverage offer breakdowns calculating how different party tax and credit proposals impact various household income levels. [RNZ]
  3. Check Your Enrollment: Ensure your details are fully up-to-date or confirm where to vote via the official VOTE NZ portal run by the Electoral Commission.
Ask anything

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AI Overviews · No location

I migrated to New Zealand, have recently become a citizen and am eligible to vote. I work here, use English as a second language and want to understand both my options and the system. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties proposing about everyday living costs for working households?

AI Overview

For the 2026 New Zealand General Election , political parties are addressing everyday living costs for working families through differing approaches. Labour and the Greens propose targeted subsidies, service caps, and new taxes on wealth or capital gains to fund relief. National and ACT focus on tax relief, boosting private savings, and reducing business regulation to lower prices.

The table below outlines what the major parties propose for working households:

Political Party Main Cost-of-Living Proposals How They Plan to Pay For It
Labour Party • Three free doctor visits through a new "Medicard".
• $20 weekly cap on public transport fares.
• Free prescriptions and maternity scans.
• Ban on hidden fees and junk insurance.
• 10% student loan cut for balances under $2,000. Introducing a 28% capital gains tax on investment properties and commercial land (excluding the family home).
National Party • No new taxes for households.
• Energy review to lower electricity grid and power costs.
• Supermarket reform to increase grocery competition. Growing the economy and maintaining targeted, lower-tax settings.
Green Party • Income Tax Kai Credit worth up to 8 weeks of food for people earning under $60,000.
• Free public transport for children, students, and apprentices, with a $2 fare cap for others.
• Universal dental care. Introducing a wealth tax on individuals with net assets over $10 million.
ACT Party • Abolish tax on KiwiSaver earnings to grow retirement funds faster.
• Flatter income tax model to reduce tax for middle and high earners.
• Fewer supermarket regulations to make it easier for new grocery competitors to enter New Zealand. Reducing government spending and trimming public service departments.
New Zealand First • Kiwi Kids Grant of up to $5,000 per child per year for up to three children.
• $1,000 KiwiSaver kickstart for newborn citizens.
• Tax relief tailored specifically for lower-income households. Using mining and resource royalties alongside structural adjustments.

Understanding the Voting System (MMP)

New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system. You get two votes on your ballot paper:

  • Party Vote: This is the most important vote. It decides the total percentage of seats each political party gets in Parliament.

  • Electorate Vote: This is for the local Member of Parliament (MP) who will represent the specific area where you live.

If you want to look deeper into specific topics, please let me know. We can focus on housing and rent policies , healthcare changes , or how to check your enrolment status.

Ask anything

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