# Café owner with a small team

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 4 · Voter profiles · 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.

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

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 7 |
| answers collected | 28 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked nationally | NZ |

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

### 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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/e737e0d7-07e0-4718-84bd-19bd34178090.md)

## Which parties AI put in front of this voter

Of the 28 answers this voter received, 19 left out at least one of the six parties in Parliament. Te Pāti Māori was named least often, in 9 of 28.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 28 | 28 |
| Labour | 28 | 28 |
| Greens | 28 | 28 |
| ACT | 26 | 28 |
| NZ First | 26 | 28 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 9 | 28 |
| Opportunity | 5 | 28 |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Economy | National | 8 | 8 | 24 | 50 | 5 | 2 |
| Economy | Labour | 8 | 8 | 26 | 51 | 2 | 2 |
| Economy | Greens | 8 | 8 | 13 | 42 | 2 | 1 |
| Economy | ACT | 8 | 8 | 16 | 44 | 2 | 3 |
| Economy | NZ First | 8 | 8 | 15 | 39 | 4 | 1 |
| Economy | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Economy | Opportunity | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jobs and unemployment | National | 4 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Labour | 4 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Greens | 4 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| Jobs and unemployment | ACT | 4 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tax and public spending | National | 4 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | Labour | 4 | 4 | 12 | 18 | 0 | 3 |
| Tax and public spending | Greens | 4 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| Tax and public spending | ACT | 3 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Tax and public spending | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Tax and public spending | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tax and public spending | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fuel and energy | National | 4 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | Labour | 4 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 5 | 3 |
| Fuel and energy | Greens | 4 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | ACT | 3 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Crime and justice | National | 4 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Crime and justice | Labour | 4 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| Crime and justice | Greens | 4 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Crime and justice | ACT | 4 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Crime and justice | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| Crime and justice | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Crime and justice | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Immigration | National | 4 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 3 | 1 |
| Immigration | Labour | 4 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 4 | 2 |
| Immigration | Greens | 4 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| Immigration | ACT | 4 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 6 | 3 |
| Immigration | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 8 | 1 |
| Immigration | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Immigration | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

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

Expands party coverage and fiscal trade-offs

The earlier hospitality answer includes industry-body demands and concrete tax, payment and employment proposals. Edition 4 retains those mechanisms but adds Opportunity and Te Pāti Māori, foregrounds consumer purchasing power, and introduces a claimed fiscal cost and commercial-rent pass-through risk. It ends with an issue-based guide to party choices. Party arguments are labelled as rationales rather than independent proof of lower café costs; none of the asserted savings is a measured outcome.

Gemini: “* **Labour Party:** Focuses on cash-flow and business-to-business transactions, including a proposed **$10,000 instant asset write-off**, an **increased GST registration threshold of $80,000**, and mandated **15-day payment terms for large businesses** dealing with small suppliers.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/3/questions/38051bc2-325a-4158-94e9-2213201ad2eb.md) · Answer ID: 0bf4f897-3a33-4deb-9bd2-d8d7e246ed1d

Gemini: “* *Evidence/Rationale:* NZ First argues this will instantly free up roughly $1 billion a year in cash flow for about 99% of Kiwi companies to reinvest or absorb cost spikes.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/38051bc2-325a-4158-94e9-2213201ad2eb.md) · Answer ID: a5e95c1c-6e8d-4fa6-ae94-369cc6cf5205

## 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 |
| --- | --- |
| reuters.com | 6 |
| labour.org.nz | 5 |
| national.org.nz | 5 |
| nzfirst.nz | 5 |
| greens.org.nz | 4 |
| policy.nz | 3 |
| 1news.co.nz | 2 |
| act.org.nz | 2 |
| hospitality.org.nz | 2 |
| restaurantnz.co.nz | 2 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 5 |
| businesscentral.org.nz | 2 |
| nzfirst.nz | 2 |
| nzvotecheck.com | 2 |
| whichparty.nz | 2 |
| 1news.co.nz | 1 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |
| assets.kpmg.com | 1 |
| ea.govt.nz | 1 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 5 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 5 |
| businesscentral.org.nz | 4 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 4 |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |
| retail.kiwi | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |
| assets.kpmg.com | 1 |
| beehive.govt.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| nzherald.co.nz | 6 |
| rnz.co.nz | 6 |
| labour.org.nz | 4 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 4 |
| businesscentral.org.nz | 3 |
| facebook.com | 3 |
| national.org.nz | 3 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 3 |
| act.org.nz | 2 |
| businessnz.org.nz | 2 |

A website counts once per answer, however many times the answer used it. Counts come from the sources recorded with each answer: 28 of this voter's 28 answers have at least one. Publisher shares count website-and-answer associations; they are separate from answer counts.

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