# Working household under mortgage pressure

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 4 · Voter profiles · S05

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4#situations)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 6 |
| answers collected | 24 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked nationally | NZ |

## 6 questions, each written as this voter would ask it

### PF023: Cost of living

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are the parties proposing about household costs, and which proposals would actually apply to a working family like ours?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/463c39bc-c868-4abc-a70c-c32da549b2ca.md)

### PF024: Tax and public spending

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How would party tax and family-support plans change the finances of a two-income family?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/7351a5dc-44bf-45e2-b76d-6ab0dce851ed.md)

### PF025: Economy

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How much control can a government really have over mortgage rates, and what are the parties promising about economic stability?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/3a4ec4f8-58be-4008-9e23-4cdc9977046b.md)

### PF026: Fuel and energy

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties have credible plans for electricity prices and supply?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/14f33e0d-24ab-42c3-86c1-3e8de5c63bd1.md)

### PF027: Education and childcare

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties differ on school funding, learning support and costs that families pay themselves?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/503735dc-37c4-4abf-8338-60889d9ba848.md)

### PF028: Infrastructure and local services

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would national party policies change about local rates and water costs, and what remains a council decision?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/1406e63c-f155-4216-acba-7d21d030902c.md)

## Which parties AI put in front of this voter

Of the 24 answers this voter received, 16 left out at least one of the six parties in Parliament. Te Pāti Māori was named least often, in 11 of 24.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 24 | 24 |
| Labour | 22 | 24 |
| Greens | 21 | 24 |
| ACT | 20 | 24 |
| NZ First | 18 | 24 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 11 | 24 |
| Opportunity | 5 | 24 |

## What AI said about each party on this voter's issues

Each row is one of this voter's issues. Each column is a party. The number shows how often the party came up in the answers to this voter. The coloured line under it shows whether what the AI said about the party was positive, neutral or negative.

Toggle assistants on or off to compare them, and click any number to see more detail about the responses.

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | National | 4 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 5 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Labour | 4 | 4 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Greens | 4 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | ACT | 4 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 3 |
| Cost of living | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tax and public spending | National | 4 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Tax and public spending | Labour | 4 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | Greens | 4 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Tax and public spending | ACT | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| Tax and public spending | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Tax and public spending | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Tax and public spending | Opportunity | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Economy | National | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Economy | Labour | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Economy | Greens | 4 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Economy | ACT | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Economy | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Economy | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Economy | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fuel and energy | National | 4 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel and energy | Labour | 4 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| Fuel and energy | Greens | 4 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | ACT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | Opportunity | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Education and childcare | National | 4 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 1 | 2 |
| Education and childcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 15 | 26 | 1 | 2 |
| Education and childcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 15 | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| Education and childcare | ACT | 4 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 2 | 1 |
| Education and childcare | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Infrastructure and local services | National | 4 | 4 | 6 | 32 | 5 | 1 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Labour | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Greens | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | ACT | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | NZ First | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

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

Omits an earlier precise payment figure; preserves the budget framework

The mortgage-household answer keeps three tests: qualifying family tax credits, reduced service charges and macroeconomic conditions affecting mortgage costs. The earlier claim of a $120 weekly NZ First increase becomes an unspecified significant increase, and Te Pāti Māori is now explicitly named. Losing the precise figure is an omission, not an affirmative correction. Edition 4 more directly warns that two wages may put the household above assistance thresholds.

Gemini: “* **Working for Families Boost:** Pledges a permanent retention and enhancement of the In-Work Tax Credit, proposing a $120 weekly boost for eligible working families (translating to a substantial annual increase for qualifying households).”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/3/questions/463c39bc-c868-4abc-a70c-c32da549b2ca.md) · Answer ID: 30b7211c-10b5-4990-9adc-57acb3dc6ed8

Gemini: “A prominent proposal includes expanding support through **Working for Families**, such as a pledged increase targeting working families (including proposals to lift the in-work tax credit framework significantly for eligible recipients), alongside indexing the minimum wage to inflation.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/463c39bc-c868-4abc-a70c-c32da549b2ca.md) · Answer ID: 4dfe9b45-d276-454b-89a9-1638388081fd

## Where the answers to this voter came from

The websites each assistant drew on when it answered this voter, and what kind of publisher they are. Pick an issue to see the websites for that question.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| national.org.nz | 5 |
| act.org.nz | 3 |
| greens.org.nz | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| policy.nz | 3 |
| reuters.com | 3 |
| beehive.govt.nz | 2 |
| ird.govt.nz | 2 |
| nzfirst.nz | 2 |
| pwc.co.nz | 2 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| buildara.nz | 2 |
| phcc.org.nz | 2 |
| whichparty.nz | 2 |
| assets.kpmg.com | 1 |
| become.nz | 1 |
| dfkorb360.co.nz | 1 |
| educationcounts.govt.nz | 1 |
| electrification.co.nz | 1 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 1 |
| facebook.com | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| nzherald.co.nz | 4 |
| rnz.co.nz | 3 |
| 1news.co.nz | 2 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| national.org.nz | 2 |
| cogo.co | 1 |
| dfkorb360.co.nz | 1 |
| elections.nz | 1 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| greens.org.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| national.org.nz | 3 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 3 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 3 |
| whichparty.nz | 3 |
| facebook.com | 2 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |
| rnz.co.nz | 2 |
| youtube.com | 2 |
| 1news.co.nz | 1 |

A website counts once per answer, however many times the answer used it. Counts come from the sources recorded with each answer: 24 of this voter's 24 answers have at least one. Publisher shares count website-and-answer associations; they are separate from answer counts.

[Previous: Couple saving for a first home](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/voters/s04)

[Next: Sole parent balancing preschool care and paid work](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/voters/s06)