Understanding your vote and financial future in New Zealand

First, congratulations on starting your apprenticeship. At 18, you're at an important stage: earning your own money, learning a trade and gradually becoming financially independent.

It's sensible to look at politics through the things that will actually affect your life, rather than simply choosing a party because your family or friends support it.

For your situation, I'd focus on five questions:

1. Apprenticeships: Will the government help you get qualified and complete your training?
2. Entry-level jobs: Will there be opportunities for young people with limited work experience?
3. Wages: What are the parties proposing for minimum wages, pay growth and employment conditions?
4. Cost of living: Will you be better able to afford transport, food, housing and savings?
5. Financial independence: Will policies make it easier to move out of your parents' home and support yourself?

I'll separate established policies from election promises, because a policy announced for 2026 isn't necessarily something that has already become law.

1. How voting works in New Zealand

New Zealand uses a system called MMP (Mixed Member Proportional).

The 2026 general election is on Saturday 7 November 2026. Advance voting is available from 26 October. What happens in a general election?Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026

You get two votes:

Vote 1

Party vote

You choose the political party you want represented in Parliament. This is the more influential vote when deciding how many seats each party gets.

Vote 2

Electorate vote

You choose the individual candidate you want to represent your local electorate.

For example, you could vote Labour for your party vote and a National candidate for your electorate vote. You don't have to vote for the same party twice.

Parties generally need at least 5% of the party vote or one electorate seat to qualify for proportional representation in Parliament.

The parties then negotiate if necessary to form a government. This means the party you vote for doesn't necessarily govern alone. What happens in a general election?

2. Which parties have policies relevant to apprentices and young workers?

Here are some of the documented 2026 policies that relate directly to your circumstances.

Labour

New Zealand Labour Party

Labour's published apprenticeship and employment commitments include:

• Expand Apprenticeship Boost to support 30,000 more apprentices.
• Provide a $1,000 grant for tools.
• Invest $84 million in Māori trades training.
• Support local employment through school and hospital building and repair projects.
• Propose a 10% student loan balance reduction for eligible graduates who meet its conditions.

What this could mean for you: More employer support for apprenticeships and help with the cost of tools. Its proposed student-loan policy is more relevant if you later undertake tertiary study. Election policy tracker: what the parties are promisingLabour's Cost of Living Plan

Read: Labour's 2026 Cost of Living Plan.

National

New Zealand National Party

National's reported apprenticeship commitments include:

• Abolish the training wage.
• Provide a $2,000 apprentice equipment grant.
• Offer employers a $2,000 completion bonus when apprentices progress through qualifications.
• Increase Māori and Pasifika-led training funding by $30 million annually.
• Pilot jobs for 16–24-year-olds who have been unemployed for six months, through local councils.

What this could mean for you: The proposed equipment grant could help with tools and work equipment. Abolishing the training wage could also matter to what you're paid while training. The youth jobs programme is aimed at people struggling to find work, rather than people already employed in apprenticeships. Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising

Read: National's 2026 election policies.

Green Party

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Greens have published proposals including:

• Abolish the training wage.
• Provide a $2,000 apprentice equipment grant.
• Provide $2,000 completion bonuses to employers.
• Invest an additional $30 million in Māori and Pasifika apprentice support, pastoral care and job matching.
• Restore Centres of Vocational Excellence.
• Guarantee a pathway into education, training or employment for 16–24-year-olds who have been out of work for six months.

What this could mean for you: The policies address both the financial costs of training and the risk of young people being left without work. Good Jobs For All of Us

Read: Greens' Good Jobs For All of Us policy.

ACT

ACT New Zealand

ACT takes a different approach to wages and employment.

Its published proposals include:

• Freeze the adult minimum wage for three years.
• Introduce a training wage of 60% of the adult minimum wage for workers under 20, for their first 12 months with an employer.
• Reduce regulatory costs for businesses, with the stated aim of encouraging employers to hire.

What this could mean for you: ACT argues that lower employment costs could encourage businesses to hire inexperienced workers. The trade-off is that young workers could receive substantially lower pay while training. ACT New ZealandMinimum Wage

Read: ACT's small business and employment proposals.

New Zealand First

New Zealand First

Its published commitments include:

• Increase the minimum wage every year for the next three years, by at least inflation.
• Increase Working for Families support.
• Lower company tax for qualifying small and medium-sized businesses.

What this could mean for you: Its minimum-wage commitment is relevant if you are starting on a lower hourly rate. Its small-business tax proposal is intended to support smaller employers, although that doesn't guarantee additional apprenticeships. Our PolicyElection policy tracker: what the parties are promising

Read: NZ First's policy commitments.

Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori

Employment proposals reported for the 2026 election include:

• Raise the minimum wage to $25 an hour.
• Eliminate starting-out and youth wages.
• Support Māori-led job training and employment programmes.
• Support stronger collective bargaining and worker protections.
• Work towards student loan write-offs for people who live and work in New Zealand for five years.

What this could mean for you: Its wage proposals could increase earnings for younger workers on lower rates. Some of its training and employment policies are specifically Māori-focused. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis

3. Comparing the policies that matter to you

Here is a simplified comparison of the proposals we've identified.

Party	Apprentice equipment support	Training wage position	Minimum wage approach
Labour	$1,000 tools grant	Extend apprenticeship support	Review current wage policy
National	$2,000 equipment grant	Abolish	Check full wage policy
Greens	$2,000 equipment grant	Abolish	Move towards Living Wage
ACT	No equivalent grant identified	Introduce 60% rate for under-20s	Freeze for three years
NZ First	No equivalent grant identified	No specific change identified	Increase at least with inflation
Te Pāti Māori	No equivalent grant identified	Eliminate youth and starting-out wages	Raise to $25/hour

Election policy tracker: what the parties are promisingLabour's Cost of Living PlanGood Jobs For All of UsACT New ZealandOur PolicyElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisMinimum Wage

One important distinction: an equipment grant, an employer subsidy and a wage increase are three different things. A party might offer help with your tools without necessarily increasing your hourly pay.

Other important wage differences

The current minimum wage rates, effective 1 April 2026, are:

Wage type	Hourly rate before tax
Adult minimum wage	$23.95
Starting-out wage	$19.16
Training minimum wage	$19.16

These are legal minimum rates, not necessarily what your employer must pay you if your agreement provides a higher rate. The training wage has specific eligibility rules. Minimum wage rates and types

This is worth investigating before signing your apprenticeship agreement. Your age alone doesn't determine which minimum wage applies.

4. What should you look at beyond your hourly wage?

Becoming financially independent is about more than getting a pay rise.

I'd also compare these policies:

• KiwiSaver: National proposes compulsory KiwiSaver participation. Consider what employer contributions and deductions mean for your take-home pay and long-term savings.
• Transport: If you need a vehicle to get to job sites, fuel prices and public transport policies matter.
• Housing: Look at first-home deposit support, rental affordability and housing supply.
• Tax: Compare how much of your earnings you keep after tax.
• Job security: Consider whether employers have incentives to retain and train apprentices, not just recruit them.

For example, National's KiwiSaver proposals and Labour's transport fare caps could affect your finances in different ways. Election policy tracker: what the parties are promisingLabour's Cost of Living Plan2026 Election Policy

5. Can you still vote in the 2026 election?

There is an important deadline to know.

Enrolment closed 25 October 2026

As it's now 31 October, the Electoral Commission says you cannot enrol for the 2026 election if you weren't enrolled by midnight on 25 October.

• If you were already enrolled, you can vote.
• If you moved house, you may still be able to cast a special vote.
• If you weren't enrolled at all by the deadline, you cannot vote in this election.

You can check your situation at Vote NZ – enrolment information. Enrol by 25 OctoberWhat to do

You must also meet the citizenship or residency and living-in-New-Zealand requirements. Being 18 is not the only eligibility requirement.

6. How I'd approach your decision

Rather than asking which party is best, ask which policies matter most to you.

Here are some questions worth considering:

• Would you rather have a higher guaranteed wage while training, even if employers might face higher costs?
• Would you prioritise grants for tools and equipment?
• Would you prioritise creating more entry-level jobs?
• Would you prioritise helping small businesses afford to employ apprentices?
• Would you prioritise making housing and everyday living costs more affordable?

There are genuine differences between the parties on these questions.

For independent comparisons, I'd recommend:

• Policy.nz – education and trades policies.
• Policy.nz – incomes, employment and wages.
• The Conversation – 2026 election policy tracker.

7. Let's make this practical for your apprenticeship

I'd like to help you understand how these policies translate into actual money in your pocket.

One question to start:

What type of apprenticeship are you starting?

For example:

• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Building or carpentry
• Automotive mechanic
• Engineering
• Other trade

That will help me explain what matters most for your particular industry, including wages during training, tools, qualification costs and employment opportunities.

You don't need to know anything about politics to make an informed decision. Understanding how a government's decisions affect your working life is a very good place to start.