New Zealand 2026 election: Foreign policy, defence, trade and regional security

New Zealand's general election is scheduled for 7 November 2026. The major parties differ over how closely New Zealand should align with traditional security partners, how much to invest in military capability, how to balance trade with China and other major economies, and what role New Zealand should play in Pacific security. Foreign affairs and sovereignty: party comparison 2026Speech: Securing New Zealand’s future in a more volatile world

A useful way to understand the contest is to separate four questions:

• Foreign relationships: How should New Zealand balance its relationships with Australia, the United States, China, Europe and other partners?
• Defence: Should New Zealand expand its military capability and security partnerships, or put greater emphasis on neutrality, diplomacy and humanitarian work?
• Trade: Should the priority be new free-trade agreements, diversification of export markets, or stronger safeguards for workers, the environment and national sovereignty?
• Regional security: How should New Zealand respond to strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific while respecting the independence of Pacific Island countries?

The comparison below focuses on the main parliamentary parties, using their published 2026 positions where available and identifying when a position comes from an earlier policy document. Party proposals are not the same as enacted policy, and some details may still change before election day.

1. Party-by-party comparison

Published positions available as of 22 October 2026. This is a policy comparison, not an endorsement or ranking.

National

Security partnerships, military capability and export growth

• Foreign relationships: Deepen relationships with Australia, India, Singapore, ASEAN and European security partners, while maintaining an independent foreign policy. National describes Australia as New Zealand's only ally. Speech: Securing New Zealand’s future in a more volatile worldForeign Affairs,

• Defence: Continue the Defence Capability Plan and double defence expenditure as a share of the economy, with a focus on interoperability with Australia. Speech: Securing New Zealand’s future in a more volatile world

• Trade: Pursue new trade agreements in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America; negotiate essential-supplies agreements and maintain the goal of doubling export value by 2034. New Zealand's Next Billion Customers

• Regional security: Build a network of bilateral and multilateral partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. In July 2026, the Government announced it would explore New Zealand joining the proposed Australia–Fiji Ocean of Peace Alliance. NZ to explore joining Fiji-Australia defence alliance

  Main emphasis: deterrence, military readiness, strategic partnerships and commercial diversification.

Labour

Independent diplomacy, international law and diversified relationships

• Foreign relationships: Maintain relationships with both the US and China, strengthen ties with the EU, Canada and ASEAN, and make the Pacific a central foreign-policy priority. Speech: Labour's foreign policyForeign Affairs

• Defence: Labour has explicitly ruled out joining either pillar of AUKUS under a Labour government, while supporting Five Eyes intelligence cooperation and an independent foreign policy. Release: A Labour Government will not join AUKUS

• Trade: Expand market opportunities in ASEAN, Europe, Africa and South America, while supporting open trade and international cooperation. Foreign AffairsSpeech: Labour's foreign policy

• Regional security: Emphasise Pacific autonomy, peaceful coexistence and diplomacy. Labour proposes parliamentary scrutiny if New Zealand joins armed conflicts and progressively increasing overseas development assistance towards 0.7% of GNI, as fiscal conditions allow. Foreign AffairsSpeech: Labour's foreign policy

  Main emphasis: retaining strategic independence without abandoning established partnerships.

Green Party

Peace, human rights, climate diplomacy and sustainable trade

• Foreign relationships: Pursue an independent, principled foreign policy grounded in international law, human rights, environmental protection and peaceful cooperation. Democracy and International Relations

• Defence: The party's published policy framework emphasises conflict prevention and peaceful conflict resolution. Specific 2026 defence spending commitments should be checked against its latest detailed policy. Democracy and International RelationsComplete Party Policy

• Trade: Assess trade and foreign investment through sustainability, environmental protection and social justice, rather than trade growth alone. Democracy and International Relations

• Regional security: Prioritise diplomacy, self-determination, international cooperation and shared climate action. Foreign affairs and sovereignty: party comparison 2026Democracy and International Relations

  Main emphasis: peaceful conflict resolution and applying environmental and human-rights principles to international affairs.

ACT

Security alignment and defence capability

• Foreign relationships: ACT is a coalition partner in the current Government. Its published policy material reviewed here does not establish a complete, distinct 2026 foreign-policy programme. ACT New ZealandForeign affairs and sovereignty: party comparison 2026

• Defence: ACT's position should be distinguished from National's: participation in a coalition does not mean every National defence commitment is an independently published ACT commitment.

• Trade: The party has a market-oriented economic approach, but its current foreign-trade priorities need to be checked against specific election commitments.

• Regional security: Its role in the current Government places it within the coalition's broader security-policy context, but that alone does not establish a separate ACT position on every alliance or regional initiative.

  Evidence note: treat specific ACT commitments on AUKUS, defence-spending targets and trade agreements as unconfirmed unless supported by a direct party statement.

New Zealand First (NZ First)

National sovereignty, supply-chain resilience and stronger defence

• Foreign relationships: Emphasise New Zealand's national interest, independence and cooperation with a diverse range of countries. Its published policy calls for a national-interest test for certain international agreements. Foreign affairs and sovereignty: party comparison 20262023 Election Policies

• Defence: Its published 2023 policy proposed progressively raising real defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2030 and establishing a dedicated Defence Capital Fund. This is an earlier commitment, not confirmation of a new 2026 pledge. 2023 Election Policies

• Trade: The 2023 policy supports new free-trade agreements, closer Commonwealth economic relations, a US free-trade agreement and more resilient supply chains. 2023 Election Policies

• Regional security: Supports expanding the Pacific Reset to the wider Indo-Pacific and improving border protection and maritime capability. 2023 Election Policies

  Main emphasis: sovereign decision-making, diversified economic links and a more capable defence force.

Te Pāti Māori

Military neutrality, Māori values and Pacific relationships

• Foreign relationships: Reset foreign policy to be independent and grounded in Māori values, with a focus on Pacific and Indigenous relationships. Military neutrality

• Defence: Its June 2026 policy proposes declaring New Zealand militarily neutral, reviewing and withdrawing from military alignments it considers inconsistent with sovereignty, and refocusing the Defence Force on protection, disaster response and Pacific support. Military neutrality

• Trade: Its neutrality policy does not, by itself, establish a comprehensive new trade-agreement programme. Specific trade commitments need to be assessed separately.

• Regional security: Prioritise Pacific protection, Indigenous solidarity, human rights and accountability for war crimes. Military neutrality

  Main emphasis: neutrality and reducing dependence on major-power military alignments.

Sources for checking each party's latest announcements: National, Labour, Greens, ACT, NZ First and Te Pāti Māori.

2. Where the main differences lie

Issue	National	Labour	Greens	NZ First	Te Pāti Māori
Strategic alignment	Stronger defence partnerships	Independent diplomacy; retain existing intelligence links	Independent, peace-focused diplomacy	Sovereignty and diverse partnerships	Formal military neutrality
AUKUS	Strengthen defence cooperation; verify any specific membership commitment	Explicitly rejects both pillars	Check latest specific position	No verified current commitment found	Review and withdraw from alignments that undermine sovereignty
Defence investment	Double defence spending as a share of GDP	Emphasis on independent policy and scrutiny of military involvement	Conflict prevention and peaceful resolution	Earlier target of 2% of GDP by 2030	Refocus on protection, disaster response and Pacific support
Trade	New agreements and export growth	Diversify markets and deepen EU, Canadian and ASEAN ties	Sustainable and socially responsible trade	Diversification, Commonwealth links and resilient supply chains	No comprehensive new trade programme established by the cited policy
Pacific security	Defence cooperation and regional partnerships	Pacific autonomy and diplomacy	Cooperation, self-determination and climate action	Wider Indo-Pacific security engagement	Pacific protection and Indigenous relationships

Sources: National's May 2026 speech and trade policy; Labour's 2026 foreign-affairs policy; Green Party policy framework; NZ First's 2023 policy; and Te Pāti Māori's June 2026 neutrality policy. Speech: Securing New Zealand’s future in a more volatile worldNew Zealand's Next Billion CustomersForeign AffairsDemocracy and International Relations2023 Election PoliciesMilitary neutralityRelease: A Labour Government will not join AUKUS

Note: The table summarises published positions, not necessarily complete party platforms. In particular, the older NZ First defence and trade commitments should not automatically be treated as new 2026 promises. ACT's distinct positions on several of these questions remain less clearly established in the sources reviewed.

3. Four questions worth examining before voting

A. How should New Zealand balance the US and China?

New Zealand has important economic relationships with China and established security and intelligence relationships with Western partners.

• National emphasises closer defence cooperation and a broader network of security partnerships.
• Labour explicitly argues for maintaining constructive relationships with both the US and China without joining either country's strategic agenda.
• Greens place greater emphasis on independent diplomacy, international law and peaceful cooperation.
• NZ First emphasises sovereignty, national interest and diversified relationships.
• Te Pāti Māori proposes military neutrality and a review of military alignments.

These differences concern how New Zealand manages competing interests; they do not necessarily imply that a party would end trade or diplomatic relations with either major power. Speech: Securing New Zealand’s future in a more volatile worldSpeech: Labour's foreign policyDemocracy and International Relations2023 Election PoliciesMilitary neutrality

B. Should New Zealand become more militarily capable?

National has made a clear commitment to substantially increasing defence expenditure. NZ First's earlier policy also set a 2%-of-GDP target. Te Pāti Māori instead proposes a different emphasis for the Defence Force, while Labour has drawn a specific line against joining AUKUS. The Green Party's published framework stresses conflict prevention and peaceful resolution.

These positions raise practical questions about equipment, personnel, maritime surveillance, military readiness and the cost of maintaining capabilities over many years. Speech: Securing New Zealand’s future in a more volatile world2023 Election PoliciesMilitary neutralityRelease: A Labour Government will not join AUKUSDemocracy and International Relations

C. How much priority should trade receive relative to other foreign-policy goals?

National's current trade programme explicitly targets doubling export value by 2034 and pursuing agreements across several regions. Labour also supports open trade, but combines it with diplomatic diversification, international law and closer relationships with Europe, Canada and ASEAN. The Greens place explicit emphasis on sustainability and justice in trade and foreign investment. NZ First's earlier policy stresses market diversification and resilience against supply-chain disruption. New Zealand's Next Billion CustomersForeign AffairsDemocracy and International Relations2023 Election Policies

The key distinction is not simply whether a party supports trade. It is which markets it prioritises, what conditions it attaches to trade, and how it weighs economic opportunities against security, environmental and sovereignty concerns.

D. Who should shape security in the Pacific?

The Pacific is important to New Zealand because of geography, longstanding relationships, climate vulnerability and increasing strategic competition.

National is pursuing stronger defence partnerships, including exploring participation in the Australia–Fiji Ocean of Peace Alliance. Labour places particular emphasis on Pacific autonomy and development. The Greens emphasise cooperation and climate action, while Te Pāti Māori centres Pacific protection and Indigenous relationships. NZ First's earlier policy calls for extending the Pacific Reset across the wider Indo-Pacific. NZ to explore joining Fiji-Australia defence allianceSpeech: Labour's foreign policyDemocracy and International RelationsMilitary neutrality2023 Election Policies

An important distinction is whether New Zealand's regional role should rely primarily on military partnerships, diplomatic and economic cooperation, or a combination of the two.

4. Where to verify the latest policies

Because election commitments can change quickly, these sources are useful for checking new announcements and the full policy documents:

• Policy.nz — 2026 election policy comparison
• National — election policies
• Labour — foreign affairs policy
• Green Party — international relations and defence
• ACT — policies
• NZ First — published policy archive
• Te Pāti Māori — military neutrality policy

The central choice for voters is how to balance security partnerships, independent decision-making, economic opportunity and Pacific relationships. Comparing each party's specific commitments—and whether they are new, funded and clearly defined—will help distinguish broad principles from policies a future government could actually implement.