# Small exporter planning investment

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 4 · Voter profiles · S11

I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers.

[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

### PF057: Economy

I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on business investment, productivity and support for small exporters?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/91b36a04-9b98-43b4-b0af-5957145b3a9a.md)

### PF058: Foreign affairs and defence

I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose about trade access, international relationships and risks to New Zealand exports?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/c0652968-50ca-4bc4-b476-06d4a4e46c1c.md)

### PF059: Jobs and unemployment

I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What plans do parties have for vocational skills, training and the availability of skilled workers?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/f61c1e75-be45-4492-b364-e753cc9a3fad.md)

### PF060: Immigration

I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How would party immigration policies affect hiring skilled staff from overseas?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/b0fd1b26-8bbe-4d5c-8ee4-ddac28bb943c.md)

### PF061: Infrastructure and local services

I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties address freight, ports and transport infrastructure in their plans for business?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/7c2059ed-af87-42b2-b21c-5544acdffcb8.md)

### PF062: Fuel and energy

I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties' energy and fuel policies affect businesses making and moving goods?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/329da0c8-78c0-4824-b542-0c1efdf693dc.md)

## Which parties AI put in front of this voter

Of the 24 answers this voter received, 17 left out at least one of the six parties in Parliament. Te Pāti Māori was named least often, in 9 of 24.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 24 | 24 |
| Labour | 24 | 24 |
| Greens | 23 | 24 |
| ACT | 23 | 24 |
| NZ First | 23 | 24 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 9 | 24 |
| Opportunity | 3 | 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Economy | National | 4 | 4 | 19 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Economy | Labour | 4 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| Economy | Greens | 4 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Economy | ACT | 4 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Economy | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Economy | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Economy | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Foreign affairs and defence | National | 4 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| Foreign affairs and defence | Labour | 4 | 4 | 7 | 39 | 2 | 0 |
| Foreign affairs and defence | Greens | 4 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| Foreign affairs and defence | ACT | 4 | 4 | 6 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Foreign affairs and defence | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 1 | 2 |
| Foreign affairs and defence | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Foreign affairs and defence | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 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 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Labour | 4 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Greens | 4 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | ACT | 3 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | 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 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Immigration | Labour | 4 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| Immigration | Greens | 3 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Immigration | ACT | 4 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| Immigration | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 |
| Immigration | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Immigration | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 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 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 1 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Labour | 4 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Infrastructure and local services | Greens | 4 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| Infrastructure and local services | ACT | 4 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| Infrastructure and local services | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 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 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fuel and energy | National | 4 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel and energy | Labour | 4 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| Fuel and energy | Greens | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| Fuel and energy | ACT | 4 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel and energy | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel and energy | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |

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

Stable mechanisms, more explicit party-by-concern mapping

The exporter answer keeps National’s Next 200, Labour’s write-off/GST/payment package and NZ First’s SME tax proposal. Edition 4 adds specific ACT training-wage and grievance details and a concern-to-party table, while the earlier answer more explicitly covers freight resilience and non-tariff barriers. The increased precision does not resolve whether a policy fits this exporter’s equipment costs or skills shortages; age-specific training wages are a different question from finding experienced staff.

Gemini: “* **National:** Features a dedicated **"Next 200" programme** intended to give high-potential small and medium Kiwi businesses intensive, targeted support to expand into international export markets, alongside maintaining existing capital allowances.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/3/questions/91b36a04-9b98-43b4-b0af-5957145b3a9a.md) · Answer ID: 1e197937-3bef-483c-970d-a0bb35917211

Gemini: “* **Labor & Skills:** Proposes a **three-year minimum wage freeze** and a lower training minimum wage for workers under 20 (moving from 80% to 60% of the adult minimum) to reduce entry-level labor costs.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/91b36a04-9b98-43b4-b0af-5957145b3a9a.md) · Answer ID: 3240d498-5482-42cd-bf39-2fa74a82705f

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

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| 1news.co.nz | 2 |
| kiwicoaches.co.nz | 2 |
| sbc.org.nz | 2 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 2 |
| whichparty.nz | 2 |
| businesscentral.org.nz | 1 |
| eastasiaforum.org | 1 |
| electrification.co.nz | 1 |
| ema.co.nz | 1 |
| nzvotecheck.com | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 2 |
| eastasiaforum.org | 1 |
| elections.nz | 1 |
| ema.co.nz | 1 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 1 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| greaterauckland.org.nz | 1 |
| hansard.parliament.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| facebook.com | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| national.org.nz | 3 |
| rnz.co.nz | 3 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| youtube.com | 2 |
| act.org.nz | 1 |
| au.finance.yahoo.com | 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.

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