# Student renting and working part time

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 6 · Voter situations · S02

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6#situations)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 5 |
| answers collected | 20 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked nationally | NZ |

## What this voter asked

### Question 6: Education and childcare

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on student allowances, living-cost support and student loans?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/62c87be8-d98e-4444-b59c-377a439af969.md)

### Question 7: Housing

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties are offering meaningful changes for renters, and how would their plans affect rent costs, healthy homes and tenancy security?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/7d43b22a-ce3a-4570-a748-4b81cf42e2c7.md)

### Question 8: Cost of living

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would parties do about food and transport costs for someone studying on a tight budget?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/2b9cc3dc-7fba-455a-8e27-473da16861f3.md)

### Question 9: Jobs and unemployment

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties proposing about graduate jobs and the rights of people doing part-time work?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/7d45fdca-db85-4ac1-87da-5fa7419c0ae6.md)

### Question 10: Mental health and addiction

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What differences are there in parties' plans for affordable mental health support for students?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/3a6ed457-c3ed-4dd7-94e4-f12d93aebed5.md)

## Which parties appeared in the answers

The figures count names in the 20 answers recorded for this situation. Naming a party does not mean recommending it.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 20 | 20 |
| Labour | 20 | 20 |
| Greens | 20 | 20 |
| ACT | 17 | 20 |
| NZ First | 9 | 20 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 13 | 20 |
| TOP | 6 | 20 |

## Party names across this voter’s topics

Each row is one of this voter's topics. Each column is a party. The figure shows how often the party was named in the answers.

This table shows the answers recorded on 26 October. The coloured bars summarise how statements about each party were assessed; select a figure to read the extracts.

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Education and childcare | National | 4 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 4 |
| Education and childcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| Education and childcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | ACT | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | TOP | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Housing | National | 4 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 5 | 0 |
| Housing | Labour | 4 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| Housing | Greens | 4 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing | ACT | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Housing | NZ First | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Housing | TOP | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | National | 4 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
| Cost of living | Labour | 4 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Greens | 4 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | ACT | 4 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Cost of living | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | TOP | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jobs and unemployment | National | 4 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 1 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Labour | 4 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Greens | 4 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | ACT | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | TOP | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mental health and addiction | National | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| Mental health and addiction | Labour | 4 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Mental health and addiction | Greens | 4 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Mental health and addiction | ACT | 4 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Mental health and addiction | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Mental health and addiction | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mental health and addiction | TOP | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

## How the main answer changed

The student answer returned to National’s proposed reduction in student-loan repayments from 12% to 10% from April 2027. It left out the earlier weekly allowance figures and added NZ First to its discussion.

The selected check supports that repayment proposal. It does not establish a current repayment rate or what this student would gain.

Gemini: “* **Allowances & Living Costs:** The Greens campaign on establishing a **universal student income** accessible to all students regardless of parental income, aiming to decouple studying from financial distress and the need to over-work.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/62c87be8-d98e-4444-b59c-377a439af969.md) · Answer ID: eddd342c-6689-441f-885b-8f59818cd9ef

Gemini: “Under its campaign commitments, National plans to **lower the mandatory student loan repayment rate from 12% to 10%** (starting April 2027).”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/questions/62c87be8-d98e-4444-b59c-377a439af969.md) · Answer ID: 10fc3daf-6f08-49f8-87a8-f15ca69adc7b

## The sources behind these answers

The websites recorded with each assistant’s answers for this voter. Choose a topic to see its sources.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| greens.org.nz | 5 |
| labour.org.nz | 5 |
| national.org.nz | 4 |
| salient.org.nz | 4 |
| act.org.nz | 3 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| 1news.co.nz | 1 |
| anzasw.nz | 1 |
| beehive.govt.nz | 1 |
| consumer.org.nz | 1 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| apex.org.nz | 2 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| 1news.co.nz | 1 |
| andersonlaw.nz | 1 |
| interest.co.nz | 1 |
| mentalhealth.org.nz | 1 |
| national.org.nz | 1 |
| nzmj.org.nz | 1 |
| policy.nz | 1 |
| thedlist.co.nz | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| rnz.co.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| hansard.parliament.nz | 1 |
| ifindproperty.co.nz | 1 |
| lawnews.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| facebook.com | 5 |
| labour.org.nz | 4 |
| policy.nz | 4 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 3 |
| rnz.co.nz | 3 |
| salient.org.nz | 3 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 3 |
| 1news.co.nz | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 2 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |

Sources count once per answer. Citations were recorded in 20 of this voter’s 20 answers. Visible links are counted separately. Other includes websites we have not yet classified.

[Previous: Apprentice voting for the first time](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/voters/s01)

[Next: Renter with variable work hours](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6/voters/s03)