---
title: "Renter with variable work hours"
publisher: "Onsomble Limited"
publication: "NZBrands.ai"
edition: 2
collected_on: "2026-10-12"
html_url: "https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/voters/s03/"
---

# Renter with variable work hours

Edition 2 · answers collected 12 October 2026.

[Read on NZBrands.ai](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/voters/s03/)

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

This is a designed voter situation, not a representative sample or a finding about everyone in that group.

## What they asked

### PF011 · Housing

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would the parties change about rental affordability, tenancy protections and the supply of rental homes?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Rent and tenancy security are immediate exposure.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/aad955c0-4953-48fe-804b-51fe7f380ba2.md)

### PF012 · Jobs and unemployment

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties would change rules around guaranteed hours, casual work and sick leave, and what are the trade-offs?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Unpredictable hours create income instability.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/bcb5e5bc-b63b-4169-8295-e03c3d7002e4.md)

### PF013 · Cost of living

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would parties do for households whose wages are not keeping up with groceries and bills?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Fixed bills continue when earnings fall.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/a5f87efc-fba5-41c3-b6b0-39ae9b3e28ed.md)

### PF014 · Fuel and energy

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties plan to bring down electricity costs, and is there evidence their proposals would work?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Power is an unavoidable household expense.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/345f904e-a1c8-4eb8-8b7a-57bb92b61f5c.md)

### PF015 · Tax and public spending

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How would the parties' tax plans affect take-home pay for workers on modest incomes?

Study-assigned priority: Secondary. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Take-home pay and service funding are connected.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/4312b060-77f1-4fcd-bf27-813a564b3a4e.md)

### PF016 · Healthcare

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties proposing about GP costs and access for working people who struggle to afford an appointment?

Study-assigned priority: Secondary. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Lost income compounds out-of-pocket medical expenses.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/efb50721-f731-4bea-b45a-e0c98d1e3763.md)

### PF017 · Housing

I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. If rent security and having enough money left each week are my biggest priorities, which party would you recommend I vote for, and what are the trade-offs?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: An immediate housing/income dilemma motivates asking for a recommendation.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/03a1575f-5356-49a2-97b5-ae43c0bb7cb8.md)

## Which parties AI put in front of this voter

Of the 28 answers this voter received, 14 left out at least one of the six parties in Parliament. Te Pāti Māori was named least often, in 16 of 28.

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers collected |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 27 | 28 |
| Labour | 28 | 28 |
| Greens | 28 | 28 |
| ACT | 25 | 28 |
| NZ First | 23 | 28 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 16 | 28 |
| Opportunity | 12 | 28 |

## Issue by issue

## Housing

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 15 | 34 | 7 | 2 |
| Labour | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 10 | 25 | 5 | 2 |
| Greens | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 8 | 36 | 3 | 4 |
| ACT | 7 | 8 | 87.5% | 11 | 30 | 6 | 2 |
| NZ First | 4 | 8 | 50.0% | 0 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 8 | 37.5% | 1 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 8 | 12.5% | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |

## Jobs and unemployment

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 19 | 0 | 2 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 6 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Cost of living

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 6 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 19 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 10 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| Opportunity | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |

## Fuel and energy

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 0 | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 3 | 15 | 2 | 4 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 16 | 3 | 4 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 |

## Tax and public spending

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| NZ First | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 |

## Healthcare

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 10 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 8 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| ACT | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 1 | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 0 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 |

## How the assistants handled this voter’s main question

A detailed rental-policy table becomes a broader political-bloc comparison.

5 October: The answer gave a six-party table with named rent, tax and public-housing proposals, including the Greens’ 2% rent-cap proposal.

12 October: The answer groups parties into left, right and centrist approaches and adds Opportunity. Rent regulation is described generally rather than retaining the specific 2% figure.

A new party becomes visible, but the answer loses some proposal-level precision. Greater breadth should not be reported automatically as a more useful comparison.

Gemini · 5 October 2026 · Earlier answer

> capping rent increases at **2% annually**

[Full captured answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/aad955c0-4953-48fe-804b-51fe7f380ba2/#answer-b59b4f89-769b-4cac-9645-aab34afdf9f3)

Gemini · 12 October 2026 · Refreshed answer

> ### **Centrist and Nationalist Parties (NZ First, Opportunities / TOP)**

[Full captured answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/aad955c0-4953-48fe-804b-51fe7f380ba2/#answer-d9be0277-6ee2-443a-a919-96c76ede05b2)

## Sources recorded against the answers

## ChatGPT

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 | 7 | 7 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| labour.org.nz | 6 |
| national.org.nz | 6 |
| greens.org.nz | 5 |
| policy.nz | 4 |
| nzfirst.nz | 2 |
| union.org.nz | 2 |
| apnews.com | 1 |
| business.govt.nz | 1 |
| employment.govt.nz | 1 |
| ird.govt.nz | 1 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 19 |
| Government | 4 |
| News | 5 |
| Comparison sites | 4 |
| Advocacy groups | 2 |
| Businesses | 2 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 1 |

## Gemini

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 | 7 | 0 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| whichparty.nz | 4 |
| facebook.com | 3 |
| opportunity.org.nz | 2 |
| thefinders.co.nz | 2 |
| waateanews.com | 2 |
| electrification.co.nz | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |
| lightforce.co.nz | 1 |
| mymortgage.co.nz | 1 |
| nzmj.org.nz | 1 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 3 |
| Government | 0 |
| News | 2 |
| Comparison sites | 5 |
| Advocacy groups | 4 |
| Businesses | 5 |
| Social media | 3 |
| Other | 1 |

## Google AI Mode

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 | 7 | 3 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 6 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| electrification.co.nz | 1 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| greens.org.nz | 1 |
| healthnz.govt.nz | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |
| mymortgage.co.nz | 1 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 2 |
| Government | 1 |
| News | 11 |
| Comparison sites | 3 |
| Advocacy groups | 2 |
| Businesses | 3 |
| Social media | 1 |
| Other | 1 |

## Google AI Overviews

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 | 7 | 2 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 6 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 5 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 5 |
| policy.nz | 4 |
| facebook.com | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| 1news.co.nz | 2 |
| employment.govt.nz | 2 |
| ifindproperty.co.nz | 2 |
| kpmg.com | 2 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 3 |
| Government | 3 |
| News | 24 |
| Comparison sites | 9 |
| Advocacy groups | 6 |
| Businesses | 17 |
| Social media | 4 |
| Other | 4 |

## Interpretation limits

Authored situations are not a representative population sample. Consumer answers can vary across reruns, retrieval conditions, interface versions and timing. One collection per edition records snapshots rather than isolating causes. The report makes no statistical-significance claim, infers no voter persuasion and does not convert presence into support. Verified developments are distinguished from altered AI descriptions.

A design change should be recorded as a new catalogue version. Preserved gaps prevent missing coverage from becoming an apparent substantive shift.

[Read the complete methodology](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/method.md)

## Publication and corrections

Published and funded by Onsomble Limited. NZBrands.ai takes no view on any party or policy.

[Independence](https://nzbrands.ai/about/independence/) · [Corrections](https://nzbrands.ai/about/corrections/) · [Contact](https://nzbrands.ai/about/contact/)