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Evidence · NZ Election 2026 · Edition 3

Every question, every answer, every source

All 174 questions and the 793 answers produced on 16 October 2026. The 27 remaining cells produced no AI Overview.

questions
174
answers saved
793
collected
16 Oct 2026

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 unchanged question.

    id, draft, text, voterCode, issue, towns

    174rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    nz-election-2026-answers.csv

    One row per produced answer, with its complete original text. Parties covers all 17 tracked parties; displayed parties covers the seven charted parties.

    result id, prompt id, draft id, scenario id, platform, region, words, parties, displayed parties, literal url answer, temporal pair, common four platforms, response text

    793rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    nz-election-2026-sources.csv

    One row per website associated with an answer; repeated citations count once.

    answer id, question id, assistant, region, domain, publisher

    4,275rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against official sources

    nz-election-2026-checks.csv

    One row per reviewed claim and assistant, including cells where the assertion was not stated.

    checkId, claimToTest, category, answerId, questionId, assistant, assertionPresent, assertion, verdict, whatTheSourceSays, checkedOn, evidence

    18rows

    Download checks against official sources (CSV)

  • Who to vote for: coding

    nz-election-2026-guidance.csv

    One row per manually reviewed guidance answer. Codes overlap; original answers supply the evidence.

    draft, assistant, q, voter, a, declined, matched, shortlist, asked, chose, extract

    31rows

    Download who to vote for: coding (CSV)

  • Location and national answers

    nz-election-2026-towns.csv

    One row per matched national/location pair in this edition.

    edition, prompt id, platform, city region, national result id, city result id, same party names, same text

    123rows

    Download location and national answers (CSV)

  • Changes between editions

    nz-election-2026-comparisons.csv

    All 17 tracked parties; one row per identical question, assistant and location across the 12 and 16 October collections. Earlier coding restated after the 20 October identity correction.

    earlier edition, prompt id, platform, region, draft id, block, scenario id, scenario, issue, priority, earlier result id, current result id, same party set, added, removed, earlier parties, current parties

    792rows

    Download changes between editions (CSV)

  • No AI Overview produced

    nz-election-2026-coverage.csv

    One row per planned cell where no AI Overview was produced.

    questionId, assistant, collectionSetting, askedFrom, availability

    27rows

    Download no ai overview produced (CSV)

  • Party-identity corrections

    nz-election-2026-party-identity-corrections.csv

    Ten reviewed false matches removed from the restated Edition 2 and current Edition 3 comparisons; original answer text is unchanged.

    edition, result id, party, before present, include, reason, reviewer, reviewed on

    10rows

    Download party-identity corrections (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

For the 2026 New Zealand general election: What are the parties' current positions on NZ Super, retirement income and aged care?

New Zealand 2026 election: NZ Super, retirement income and aged care

The key distinction to watch in the 2026 election is between the age at which people qualify for NZ Super, how retirement is funded, and how older people receive healthcare and support. These are related issues, but parties can take quite different positions on each.

For a fair comparison, it is also important to separate a party's confirmed 2026 election policy from its existing government record, a proposal made by an individual MP, or a policy it has not yet announced.

1. NZ Super: who qualifies, and at what age?

The main policy divide is whether to keep eligibility at 65 or gradually move it to 67. Another question is whether NZ Super should remain a universal payment regardless of a person's income or assets.

Party Position on NZ Super
National Supports universal NZ Super without an income or asset test. Its proposed retirement reforms would gradually raise the qualifying age to 67 from 2044.
Labour Commits to keeping eligibility at 65 and opposes means-testing NZ Super.
Green Party Supports universal NZ Super and has not backed raising the age. Emphasises making the payment sufficient to meet older people's everyday costs.
New Zealand First Opposes raising the age or means-testing. Commits to maintaining NZ Super at 66% of the net average wage.
ACT Proposes raising the age to 67 over eight years, with an exception allowing people with at least 20 years in physically demanding work to apply at 65.
The Opportunity Party (Opportunity) Proposes replacing NZ Super with a Citizens' Income and a supplementary payment. Over the longer term, the supplement could reduce as people's other retirement savings grow.
Te Pāti Māori Has previously advocated allowing Māori to access superannuation seven to ten years earlier, citing life-expectancy and health disparities. Its formal 2026 policy position was not confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Sources: Local Matters' September 2026 comparison and Grey Power's survey of the parties. Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperHow parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

What this means in practice: the age-65 versus age-67 question is a major difference between National and ACT on one side, and Labour, the Greens and NZ First on the other. Opportunity proposes a more fundamental change to the retirement-income system. National's proposed age increase is a long-term change, not an immediate one. Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super

2. Retirement savings: KiwiSaver and other income

NZ Super is the public pension; KiwiSaver is the main voluntary workplace savings scheme. Parties differ on whether participation and contributions should become compulsory, and how much employers and employees should contribute.

Party Main retirement-savings proposal
National Make KiwiSaver compulsory for workers from July 2028, progressively raising employee and employer contributions to 6% each by 2032. Enrol children at birth and provide a $1,500 government contribution.
Labour Make employer contributions compulsory from July 2028 and increase them to 6% by 2032, without requiring employees to contribute. Extend employer contributions to workers aged 65 and over.
ACT Opposes National's compulsory KiwiSaver proposal in its current form, raising concerns about reduced flexibility for people who would rather repay debt or invest elsewhere.
New Zealand First Proposes compulsory KiwiSaver, automatic enrolment at birth for New Zealand citizens with a $1,000 government contribution, and eventual employee and employer contributions of 10% each.
Greens Has not stated a clear 2026 position on making KiwiSaver compulsory or increasing contribution rates in the sources reviewed. Its retirement policy emphasises income adequacy and support for older people.
Opportunity Proposes KiwiSaver 2.0, with compulsory employee and employer contributions totalling 12% of earnings. This would operate alongside its proposed Citizens' Income.
Te Pāti Māori Has opposed National's proposed contribution increases, arguing that higher contributions could put pressure on lower-income Māori workers. A full 2026 retirement-savings policy was not confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Sources: 2026 retirement-policy comparison, National's election policies and 2026 election policy summaries. Retirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 20262026 Election Policy2026 Election Policy Summaries

One important distinction is that compulsory employer contributions are not the same as compulsory employee contributions. Labour's proposal would increase employer-funded savings without requiring every worker to make the same contribution from their take-home pay. National's proposal would require both sides to contribute. 2026 Election Policy SummariesRetirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

3. Aged care: rest homes, home support and dementia care

Aged care is a separate policy question from NZ Super. It includes funding for residential care, support for people to remain at home, dementia services, staffing and wages for care workers, and access to healthcare as people age.

The policy picture is less complete across all parties than it is for NZ Super. A useful source here is the September 2026 questionnaire conducted by Grey Power, alongside the parties' published health policies.

Botany Medical and Urgent Care | Botany Town Centre

National

National points to its health-sector record, including additional doctors and nurses, medicines funding, elective surgery and cancer screening. It has highlighted healthcare improvements but had not released its full health policy when Grey Power conducted its survey. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

Comunity Access:Alpha Healthcare Christchurch

Labour

Labour's emphasis is on making healthcare more affordable and accessible. Its proposals include three free GP visits a year for everyone and removing prescription charges from July 2027. It has also pledged to restore pay-equity legislation and provide an immediate $4-an-hour pay rise for care and support workers from January 2027. Labour's 2026 Election Policies2026 Election Policy Summaries

Dementia Level Care in New Zealand | Bupa New Zealand

Green Party

The Greens support a shift towards fully funded, publicly provided healthcare, including aged care and palliative care. They have committed to implementing the national Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan over five years and advocate better conditions for the aged-care workforce. 2026 Election Policy SummariesLong-term investment in aged care can't wait - delaying it will only increase the costHow parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

Hospital Level Care in New Zealand | Bupa New Zealand

New Zealand First

NZ First has identified aged-care reform as a priority, emphasising better coordination between primary care, community services and aged care. It has also advocated a Seniors Housing Plan and more options for ageing in place. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

Senior man with dementia sitting at table using digital tablet on a stand, with senior woman helping him

ACT

ACT did not complete Grey Power's 2026 older-people policy questionnaire, citing capacity constraints. A detailed, comparable aged-care commitment was not established in the sources reviewed. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

Home support for families, we've got it covered!

Opportunity

Opportunity proposes a 10-year, cross-party Health Plan, with stable long-term funding, more preventive and primary care, and stronger community-based services so older people can remain at home for longer. It also emphasises support for family carers. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

Ngā Ia Taiheke o te reo Māori ki te Moutere o Matakana | Te Mātāwai

Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori did not respond to Grey Power's questionnaire, and I could not establish a comparable, detailed 2026 aged-care programme from the sources reviewed. Its previously stated position on earlier Māori access to NZ Super is relevant to retirement policy, but should not be mistaken for a complete aged-care plan. How parties stand on issues affecting older New ZealandersWhere the parties stand on New Zealand Super

A major issue facing every incoming government

In August 2026, the government's Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group released A place to grow old: Securing the future of aged care. The report called for major structural reform, highlighting fragmented services, insufficient capacity and funding pressures as the population ages. It warned that costs could nearly double over the following 20 years. This is an independent advisory report, not a commitment adopted by every party. Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group media release: Major reform needed to secure New Zealand’s aged care future

The practical questions to look for in party policies are:

  • Will public funding cover the cost of residential aged care and home support as demand grows?
  • How will parties address shortages of care workers and nurses, and their pay and working conditions?
  • Will people receive more support to remain safely at home, including dementia care and respite for family carers?
  • Will older people have timely access to GPs, specialist care, medicines and palliative care?

4. Where the parties differ most

Retirement age and pension eligibility

National and ACT propose a higher qualifying age; Labour, the Greens and NZ First favour retaining 65. Opportunity proposes replacing NZ Super with a different income-support model.

Who pays for retirement?

National proposes compulsory contributions from employers and employees. Labour focuses on compulsory employer contributions. NZ First proposes higher contribution rates, while Opportunity proposes its own compulsory savings model.

Who pays for care?

The Greens advocate a more extensively publicly funded health and aged-care system. Labour emphasises affordability and the care workforce; NZ First prioritises better coordination and reform; Opportunity focuses on long-term planning and community care.

Sources to check before voting

Because election policies can change during the campaign, these are useful starting points for checking the latest announcements:

Bottom line: for the 2026 election, the central retirement-income choice is between keeping NZ Super eligibility at 65, raising it later, or redesigning the wider income-support system. On aged care, the key distinction is how far parties commit to expanded public funding, better-paid care workers and more support for older people to live at home. The detail and funding attached to those commitments matter as much as the headline promises.

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For the 2026 New Zealand general election: What are the parties' current positions on NZ Super, retirement income and aged care?

For the 2026 New Zealand general election, the future of New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super), retirement savings, and aged care have emerged as key campaign issues. While older advocacy groups like Grey Power and Age Concern have pushed for long-term certainty and bipartisanship, the major political parties diverge significantly on structural changes, the age of eligibility, and KiwiSaver reforms.

1. NZ Superannuation Eligibility and Age

The primary dividing line across the political spectrum centers on whether to change the current eligibility age of 65:

  • ACT: Proposes raising the retirement age gradually (by three months every year) to address long-term fiscal pressures and national debt.
  • Labour, the Green Party, New Zealand First, and TOP: All maintain a clear commitment to retaining the age of eligibility at 65.
  • National: Has historically signaled a preference to keep the age at 65, though future sustainability remains a point of intense fiscal debate alongside other parties. Recently, major finance spokespeople have faced questions regarding cross-party retirement accords to shield the pension from abrupt changes.
  • Te Pāti Māori: Focuses its retirement equity policy on advocating for an earlier NZ Super eligibility age for Māori, reflecting lower average life expectancies.

2. Payment Rates and Indexation

  • New Zealand First: Strongly advocates for protecting the core structure of NZ Super, maintaining its indexation floor at 66% of the net average wage for a married couple, and views the pension as an absolute non-negotiable bottom line.
  • Other parties generally support maintaining indexation against inflation and wage growth to protect beneficiaries against ongoing cost-of-living pressures, though fiscal conservatives emphasize managing government spending overall.

3. KiwiSaver and Compulsory Savings Proposals

Retirement income policy also heavily features proposals around KiwiSaver settings to boost long-term private savings:

  • National: Proposes making KiwiSaver compulsory for all workers starting in July 2028, with mandatory minimum employee and employer contributions stepping up to 6% each by 2032. It also includes a $1,500 "kickstart" payment for newborns.
  • Labour: Supports making employer contributions compulsory (rising to 6% by 2032), even if employees choose to temporarily pause their own contributions, deliberately avoiding mandatory employee contributions to ease immediate cost-of-living strain.
  • New Zealand First: Proposes an even more robust compulsory framework, enrolling every citizen at birth with a Crown contribution and lifting eventual employee and employer contribution rates to between 8% and 10%.
  • The Opportunities Party (TOP): Advocates for "KiwiSaver 2.0"—a universal, compulsory scheme forcing combined 12% contributions from gross earnings, with balances locked specifically for retirement rather than early withdrawals like first-home buyers' grants.
  • ACT: Critiques mandatory contribution expansions (such as National's plan) as disruptive to businesses and personal cash flow (like paying down mortgages), preferring voluntary frameworks.

4. Aged Care, Health, and Support Services

With an aging population, aged care reform and "ageing in place" support are prominent cross-party concerns:

  • New Zealand First: Has made aged-care reform a core priority, pushing for better coordination between primary, community, and aged-care networks alongside a dedicated Seniors Housing Plan.
  • Labour and National: Both emphasize shoring up the broader public health system and improving primary care access, though they differ on implementation. National focuses on economic growth to fund health infrastructure, whereas Labour centers on targeted affordability and cost-reduction for health services.
  • TOP: Has floated specific measures for older homeowners, such as introducing interest-free rates deferral schemes through local authorities to alleviate fixed-cost pressures on fixed incomes.
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For the 2026 New Zealand general election: What are the parties' current positions on NZ Super, retirement income and aged care?

As reported by Grey Power Magazine and the New Zealand Herald, New Zealand's political parties hold distinct positions on New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super), retirement income sustainability, and aged care ahead of the 2026 general election.

New Zealand Superannuation & Eligibility Age

  • Labour Party : Supports keeping the eligibility age for NZ Super at 65 and maintains a commitment to universal entitlement without means-testing. Labour opposes increasing the retirement age.

  • National Party : Supports universal superannuation and states it will not means-test the payment. While National has previously expressed openness to adjusting the eligibility age in long-term fiscal discussions, its specific position for the current election cycle emphasizes universal access. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has also indicated an openness to broader cross-party talks regarding long-term retirement settings.

  • Green Party : Committed to retaining the age of eligibility at 65 and keeping NZ Super universal. The Greens have also expressed openness to exploring individual rather than couple payment rates in future policy development. [greypowermag.co.nz]

  • ACT New Zealand : Proposes gradually raising the eligibility age for NZ Super by three months every year until reaching 67 by 2035. ACT's fiscal plan includes "compassionate access" provisions for individuals who have worked a substantial portion of their careers in physically demanding jobs, alongside putting contributions to the NZ Super Fund temporarily on hold.

  • New Zealand First : Strongly committed to retaining the eligibility age at 65 and maintaining NZ Super explicitly at 66% of the net average wage. They advocate for protecting universal entitlements against any means-testing or structural increases. [greypowermag.co.nz]

  • The Opportunities Party (TOP) : Supports keeping the eligibility age at 65 in the near term, framing any potential future structural adjustments around a longer-term universal basic income or "Citizens’ Income" model rather than immediate changes. [greypowermag.co.nz]

Universal Entitlement vs. Means-Testing

  • Universal Supporters (Labour, National, Greens, NZ First, TOP) : All major responding parties maintain that NZ Super should remain a universal entitlement paid to individuals regardless of their personal income or accumulated assets.

  • Targeted Reform Debates : While major parties reject direct means-testing of the pension, ongoing public and policy discussions—highlighted by the Retirement Commission and various economic commentaries—continue to debate the long-term fiscal pressures of an aging population, prompting cross-party acknowledgments that sustainable funding for aged care and retirement income will require ongoing Parliament-wide dialogue.

Aged Care and Cost of Living for Older New Zealanders

  • Grey Power & Age Concern Priorities: Advocacy groups like Grey Power and Age Concern note that healthcare access, the rising cost of living (including rates, energy, and groceries), and accommodation costs are critical factors for over-65s, with roughly 40% relying solely on superannuation.

  • Party Approaches : While there is cross-party consensus on safeguarding the core universal pension structure, parties diverge on broader economic interventions. Left-leaning and centrist parties (Labour, Greens, NZ First) emphasize strengthening public healthcare delivery, cost-of-living support, and adjustments to housing/accommodation supplements, whereas right-leaning parties (National, ACT) focus on broader fiscal restraint, debt reduction, and economic management to ease inflation pressures.

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For the 2026 New Zealand general election: What are the parties' current positions on NZ Super, retirement income and aged care?

AI Overview

For the 2026 New Zealand general election , the major political parties have distinct positions on NZ Superannuation, retirement income (including KiwiSaver), and aged care, though recent October 2026 developments show a significant push toward an eventual cross-party compromise between the two major parties.

🏛️ The Major Parties at a Glance

Political Party Position on NZ Super Age Policy on KiwiSaver Stance on Aged Care & Other Policies
National Party Supports gradually raising the age (timeline unspecified), but open to a cross-party accord. Supports increasing employee/employer contribution rates up to 6%. Focuses on a broader cross-party review of retirement systems and funding.
Labour Party Committed to keeping the age at 65 , but open to means-testing discussions. Opposes making KiwiSaver mandatory; redirects up to $50m/year from Super Fund to venture capital. Agreed to a bipartisan accord to stabilize long-term aged care and housing settings.
ACT New Zealand Wants to raise the age to 67 by 2035 (increasing by 3 months per year). Wants to keep KiwiSaver access at 65 and remove tax on KiwiSaver returns. Offers "compassionate early access" for those with decades in physically demanding jobs.
Green Party Committed to keeping the age at 65. Open to exploring individual (rather than couple) payment rates. Demands immediate long-term investment in in-home care and residential facilities.
New Zealand First Committed to keeping the age at 65. Wants compulsory KiwiSaver; auto-enrollment at birth with a $1,000 government contribution. Wants to restrict NZ Super strictly to NZ Citizens starting in 2029.
Te Pāti Māori Focuses on earlier NZ Super access for Māori. Opposes raising contribution mandates, arguing it hurts low-income earners. Emphasizes indigenous-led wellbeing and equity in aging services.

🔍 Deep Dive into Key Positions

1. National Party

According to October 2026 announcements, National has confirmed its overarching platform involves gradually lifting the retirement age, but they intentionally omitted a strict timeline from their fiscal plan. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has stated that politicians need to put aside "pettiness". National has pledged to initiate cross-party accord discussions within the first 100 days of the next government to establish a sustainable, long-term framework for pensions and older-Kiwis' housing.

2. Labour Party

Led by Chris Hipkins, Labour maintains its stance that the core eligibility age must remain 65 to protect workers. However, in an unexpected shift during the October 2026 finance debates, finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds immediately agreed to join National in a bipartisan retirement accord to create fiscal certainty. Outside of the age debate, Labour has proposed redirecting up to $50 million a year from the Crown's overall contribution to the NZ Super Fund into the state-backed Elevate venture capital fund to stimulate economic growth.

3. ACT New Zealand

ACT has put forward the most explicit cost-cutting framework regarding retirement in its 2026 fiscal plan. ACT proposes to raise the eligibility age to 67 by increasing it by three months every year over an eight-year period. To mitigate the impact, David Seymour's policy decouples KiwiSaver from NZ Super, allowing people to access their KiwiSaver funds at 65 while removing taxes on its returns. It also outlines an early "compassionate access" track for seniors who spent over 20 years in highly strenuous, physical careers.

4. Green Party

The Green Party firmly opposes raising the eligibility age. Their seniors spokesperson, Lawrence Xu-Nan, has targeted the aged care sector , heavily criticizing successive governments for "kicking the can down the road" on residential and in-home care shortages. The Greens support immediate, major Crown injections into aged care to give nurses and healthcare assistants better working conditions and pay.

5. New Zealand First

Winston Peters has made a landmark 2026 election promise to restrict NZ Superannuation exclusively to New Zealand citizens starting in 2029 , calling the current cost of migrant superannuation a "ticking timebomb" for taxpayers. Economically, NZ First wants to overhaul retirement savings by making KiwiSaver compulsory across the entire workforce. They propose that the government deposit $1,000 for every Kiwi citizen newborn , with employer/employee minimum contributions scaled up to 10% over time, cushioned by matching tax cuts.

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