---
title: "Café owner with a small team"
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/s10/"
---

# Café owner with a small team

Edition 2 · answers collected 12 October 2026.

[Read on NZBrands.ai](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/voters/s10/)

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in.

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

## What they asked

### PF050 · Economy

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would parties do to improve conditions for small hospitality businesses, and what evidence supports their plans?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Consumer spending determines business viability.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/38051bc2-325a-4158-94e9-2213201ad2eb.md)

### PF051 · Jobs and unemployment

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties differ on minimum wages, employment rules and support for hiring and training staff?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Hiring rules and costs affect the team.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/734b2635-689e-46e6-a74b-60261f6010fd.md)

### PF052 · Tax and public spending

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties propose changes to small-business tax and compliance, and what would those mean for a café?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Compliance and tax affect time and cash flow.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/5d5460f4-df44-416a-95f3-e9ea9747f420.md)

### PF053 · Fuel and energy

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would parties do about electricity costs for small businesses?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Energy costs are part of the stated margin pressure.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/cf94c8a8-7cc8-4d72-926f-3633dc366991.md)

### PF054 · Crime and justice

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose about retail and small-business crime, prevention and policing?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: A specified break-in makes security locally relevant.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/6206b275-3942-423e-a7fd-f23f4b3651e7.md)

### PF055 · Immigration

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on immigration settings for hospitality workers?

Study-assigned priority: Secondary. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Workforce availability can affect recruitment.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/44b3abe3-7f32-4dd4-8275-9428d384c709.md)

### PF056 · Economy

I run a café with a small team. Food and power costs are squeezing margins, customers are spending less, and we've experienced a break-in. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. If I want to keep the business viable and treat my staff fairly, which party would you recommend, and where might those priorities conflict?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: The voter asks how to weigh business viability and employee interests.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/e737e0d7-07e0-4718-84bd-19bd34178090.md)

## Which parties AI put in front of this voter

Of the 28 answers this voter received, 17 left out at least one of the six parties in Parliament. Te Pāti Māori was named least often, in 13 of 28.

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers collected |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 28 | 28 |
| Labour | 28 | 28 |
| Greens | 27 | 28 |
| ACT | 27 | 28 |
| NZ First | 26 | 28 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 13 | 28 |
| Opportunity | 3 | 28 |

## Issue by issue

## Economy

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 24 | 31 | 2 | 5 |
| Labour | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 22 | 28 | 3 | 4 |
| Greens | 7 | 8 | 87.5% | 10 | 21 | 4 | 4 |
| ACT | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 18 | 28 | 5 | 7 |
| NZ First | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 20 | 28 | 6 | 2 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 8 | 50.0% | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 8 | 12.5% | 1 | 5 | 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% | 10 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 8 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 6 | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 12 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## 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% | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 17 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 3 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| ACT | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 4 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 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% | 9 | 26 | 0 | 1 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 20 | 0 | 3 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 |

## Crime and justice

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 24 | 2 | 1 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 3 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| NZ First | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Immigration

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 3 | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 5 | 16 | 2 | 2 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | 19 | 5 | 0 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |

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

The same business pressures are reorganised around supplier-market intervention.

5 October: The answer gave Labour’s claimed asset write-off and GST-registration details alongside NZ First’s 20% small-company tax proposal.

12 October: NZ First’s tax proposal remains, but the answer puts more emphasis on power and supermarket restructuring. Labour’s concrete write-off and GST-registration figures are no longer given.

The owner receives a different explanation of what could relieve margins. Assertions about grocery restructuring are observed AI claims rather than independently verified outcomes for café suppliers.

Gemini · 5 October 2026 · Earlier answer

> raising the immediate asset write-off threshold from $1,000 to $10,000

[Full captured answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/38051bc2-325a-4158-94e9-2213201ad2eb/#answer-61b8cd77-8087-470f-9c1c-2e0a3928c451)

Gemini · 12 October 2026 · Refreshed answer

> ### 2. Power and Food Input Costs (The Supply Side)

[Full captured answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/38051bc2-325a-4158-94e9-2213201ad2eb/#answer-6acb7ccb-1739-4fd0-b46d-87f2947fce7b)

## 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 |
| --- | --- |
| act.org.nz | 6 |
| greens.org.nz | 6 |
| labour.org.nz | 6 |
| national.org.nz | 6 |
| nzfirst.nz | 5 |
| beehive.govt.nz | 2 |
| maoriparty.org.nz | 2 |
| opportunity.org.nz | 2 |
| police.govt.nz | 2 |
| pwc.co.nz | 2 |

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

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 33 |
| Government | 13 |
| News | 5 |
| Comparison sites | 1 |
| Advocacy groups | 4 |
| Businesses | 3 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 0 |

## Gemini

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

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| national.org.nz | 3 |
| nzvotecheck.com | 3 |
| whichparty.nz | 2 |
| act.org.nz | 1 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |
| assets.kpmg.com | 1 |
| electrification.co.nz | 1 |
| livinginnz.co.nz | 1 |
| nothandco.com | 1 |
| nzfirst.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 | 5 |
| Government | 0 |
| News | 3 |
| Comparison sites | 6 |
| Advocacy groups | 4 |
| Businesses | 4 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 0 |

## Google AI Mode

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

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 5 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 4 |
| hospitality.org.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| waateanews.com | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |
| greens.org.nz | 1 |
| hansard.parliament.nz | 1 |
| interest.co.nz | 1 |
| labour.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 | 2 |
| Government | 1 |
| News | 14 |
| Comparison sites | 2 |
| Advocacy groups | 4 |
| Businesses | 3 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 0 |

## Google AI Overviews

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 | 7 | 4 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 6 |
| national.org.nz | 5 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 5 |
| youtube.com | 5 |
| act.org.nz | 4 |
| retail.kiwi | 4 |
| waateanews.com | 4 |
| instagram.com | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| powercompare.co.nz | 2 |

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

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 11 |
| Government | 2 |
| News | 21 |
| Comparison sites | 4 |
| Advocacy groups | 8 |
| Businesses | 8 |
| Social media | 8 |
| Other | 0 |

## 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/)