2026 New Zealand election: What would parties do for jobs in small towns?

Your question raises an important issue for provincial New Zealand: how can a small town remain a place where people can earn a living, raise a family and access essential services without depending almost entirely on farming?

There are several ways a government can support that:

• Help small businesses open, expand and employ local people.
• Bring investment into manufacturing, tourism, construction, renewable energy and technology.
• Create apprenticeships and training so young people can stay in their communities.
• Maintain local schools, healthcare, transport and public services, which also provide employment.
• Improve roads, electricity, broadband and infrastructure so businesses can operate outside major cities.

The 2026 election is scheduled for 7 November 2026. The following comparison covers the seven parties with published election platforms: National, Labour, ACT, Green, New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori and The Opportunity Party. It focuses on policies beyond farming, using announcements available as at 31 October 2026. October AMM Comms: Election 2026 – What the Parties Are Proposing for Employers and Small Businesses2026 Election PolicyLabour's 2026 Election Policies

1. What each party is proposing

National – Business growth, exports and infrastructure

Business and investment approach

National's approach is to encourage private businesses to invest, expand and create employment.

Its relevant proposals include:

• Investment Boost: Retain tax incentives that allow businesses to deduct more of the cost of new investments in equipment.
• Commercial development: Make it easier and quicker to get building consents for shops, offices and other commercial buildings.
• Export growth: Aim to double the value of New Zealand exports by 2034.
• Tourism: Change the International Visitor Levy so councils receive a direct and growing financial return from the visitors they host.
• Infrastructure: Continue regional infrastructure investment, including transport resilience projects.

Potential relevance to small towns: Opportunities could arise in tourism, construction, transport, logistics, local manufacturing and businesses supplying exporters.

An important consideration is that National's policies generally rely on private investment and economic growth. They do not necessarily guarantee that new jobs will be located in smaller towns. 2026 Election PolicyElection 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?

Labour – Apprenticeships, small businesses and public investment

Jobs, skills and small-business support

Labour has proposed several measures that could directly support employment outside the farming sector.

• Apprenticeship Boost: Extend employer payments, provide a $1,000 toolbox grant and include five additional trades.
• Start Work Now: Create work through building social housing, improving more than 2,000 schools and addressing hospital repair backlogs.
• Small-business support: Faster payment of government invoices, a tax write-off for equipment costing up to $10,000 and reduced paperwork.
• Government contracts: Set a target for 15% of government contracts to go to New Zealand small businesses and start-ups.
• Future Fund: Establish a fund to invest in infrastructure and innovative New Zealand businesses.
• Māori employment: Invest $21 million annually in Māori-led vocational training.

Labour also proposes a Family Doctor Loan Scheme to help doctors buy into local general practices.

Potential relevance to small towns: Tradespeople, builders, electricians, mechanics, local contractors, small manufacturers and healthcare workers could benefit. Government construction and maintenance work could also create employment beyond the main cities.

One thing worth examining is how much of the proposed construction and government procurement work would actually be directed to smaller communities. Labour's 2026 Election PoliciesElection 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising

ACT New Zealand – Less regulation and easier access to workers

Business regulation and workforce

ACT's approach focuses on reducing regulatory burdens and making it easier for businesses to operate.

Its 2026 rural package includes:

• A proposed Rural Workforce Visa to improve access to overseas workers.
• Changes to planning and resource-consent rules.
• Greater emphasis on property rights.
• Changes to climate legislation and environmental requirements.

ACT's wider small-business approach also focuses on reducing compliance costs and encouraging competition.

Potential relevance to small towns: Businesses that struggle with staffing shortages or regulatory costs could benefit. This might include construction companies, tourism operators, trades, transport businesses and local manufacturers.

The important distinction is that reducing business costs does not automatically create new local jobs. The outcome depends on whether businesses use the savings to expand and employ more people. ACT's proposed climate-policy changes would also affect the regulatory environment for energy and other industries. Election 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?2026 Election Policy Summaries

Green Party – Community businesses and a diversified green economy

Local development and new industries

The Greens place considerable emphasis on community-led economic development and creating employment in lower-emissions industries.

Their policies include:

• Supporting renewable energy and clean technology.
• Developing climate-resilient infrastructure.
• Encouraging repair, recycling and circular-economy businesses.
• Supporting sustainable food processing and value-added manufacturing.
• Creating regional industry and employment plans through a proposed Future Workforce Agency.
• Supporting community hubs and mobile services so smaller communities retain access to essential services.
• Supporting Māori-led economic development and local markets.

The Greens' rural communities policy also supports accessible healthcare, education, disability, financial, waste and postal services.

Potential relevance to small towns: Potential employment areas include solar and renewable energy, building retrofits, recycling, manufacturing, environmental restoration, tourism and community services.

A consideration for existing businesses is that stronger environmental protections and requirements could also mean additional costs or changes to some industries. 2026 Election Q&A - ScienceElection 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?Election 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?

New Zealand First – Regional investment and resource development

Regional economic investment

New Zealand First proposes returning more economic benefits to the regions where resources are extracted or developed.

Its proposals include:

• Returning 50% of mining royalties to the regions where they are generated.
• Undertaking a national subsurface survey to identify energy, geothermal and carbon-storage opportunities.
• Supporting regional infrastructure investment.
• Reducing the company tax rate from 28% to 20% for businesses with annual turnover below $30 million.
• Addressing competition in the electricity and supermarket sectors.

Potential relevance to small towns: Mining-related services, engineering, energy projects, geothermal development, transport, construction and local suppliers could benefit.

The regional royalty proposal is particularly relevant to towns with extractive industries or mineral resources.

However, the benefits would depend on whether suitable projects exist locally, whether they proceed and whether local workers and businesses secure the resulting contracts. Election 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?Election 2026: What’s on Offer for Small Business?Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising

Te Pāti Māori – Māori ownership and community enterprise

Local ownership and development

Te Pāti Māori emphasises economic development that gives Māori communities greater ownership and control.

Its 2026 proposals include:

• A $1 billion Energy Sovereignty Fund.
• Developing a Māori energy workforce and industry.
• Greater investment in community energy capability.
• Supporting Māori-owned supermarkets and local food businesses.
• Investing in community food systems.
• Expanding papakāinga housing.
• Supporting Māori-led healthcare and education services.

Potential relevance to small towns: These policies could create employment in energy, construction, housing, retail, food processing, healthcare and education, particularly in communities with established Māori organisations, iwi businesses and underutilised whenua.

The key question is how widely the proposed funding and business opportunities would be distributed, and how local communities could participate. Election 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?Election 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?

The Opportunity Party – Long-term infrastructure and innovation

Infrastructure and economic diversification

The Opportunity Party (TOP) focuses on long-term investment, infrastructure planning and economic transformation.

Its regional proposals include:

• Putting a 30-year infrastructure plan into law.
• Directing 60% of infrastructure spending towards maintenance.
• Supporting renewable energy development.
• Helping factories transition away from fossil fuels.
• Establishing long-term climate adaptation arrangements.
• Supporting innovation and small businesses, including improved access to research and development tax credits.

TOP also proposes a land value tax, with a lower rate for rural land than urban land.

Potential relevance to small towns: Infrastructure maintenance could generate work for local construction and engineering firms. Renewable energy and factory modernisation could create technical and skilled jobs.

However, the proposed land tax is also worth examining for its potential effect on businesses and property owners. Election 2026: What's on Offer for Regional New Zealand?Election 2026: What’s on Offer for Small Business?

2. Comparing the types of jobs each party is emphasising

Here is a simplified comparison of the economic opportunities reflected in their proposals. These are policy areas, not guarantees of job creation.

Party	Main employment approach	Potential small-town industries
National	Private investment and export growth	Tourism, construction, logistics, manufacturing
Labour	Apprenticeships, government contracts and small-business support	Trades, healthcare, construction, services
ACT	Lower regulation and workforce access	Construction, tourism, transport, business
Greens	Green industries and community development	Renewable energy, recycling, restoration, services
NZ First	Regional resource investment and lower SME taxes	Engineering, energy, mining, local suppliers
Te Pāti Māori	Māori ownership and local enterprise	Energy, retail, housing, healthcare, food businesses
TOP	Infrastructure, innovation and energy transition	Engineering, manufacturing, renewable energy

3. Healthcare and essential services: an important part of the jobs question

You mentioned that your family has to drive long distances to access services. This is relevant to employment as well as quality of life.

A small town can struggle to attract and retain workers when families cannot access doctors, hospitals, schools, childcare and other essential services.

Some relevant proposals include:

• Labour: Three free GP visits annually, a Family Doctor Loan Scheme to help establish or retain owner-operated practices, and a Graduate Nurse Job Guarantee.
• National: Its healthcare programme focuses on improving access to treatment, medicines and earlier care.
• Greens: Support for accessible rural health services, mobile services and community hubs.
• Te Pāti Māori: Greater investment in Māori-led health services.
• ACT, NZ First and TOP: Each has its own healthcare proposals, which are worth examining alongside their employment policies.

The rural health sector has also published an election manifesto outlining six priorities for better rural healthcare and workforce retention. Election 20262026 Election Policy SummariesLabour's 2026 Election Policies

You can read it here: Hauora Taiwhenua – 2026 Rural Health Election Manifesto.

4. What I would examine before deciding how to vote

For someone living and working in a small town, I would look beyond broad promises about growing the economy.

I would consider these six practical questions:

1. Local jobs: Does the party have a credible plan to attract businesses and employers into smaller towns, rather than concentrating investment in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch?

2. Jobs beyond farming: Does it support tourism, manufacturing, construction, renewable energy, healthcare, trades, technology and local retail?

3. Young people: Will young people be able to get apprenticeships, training and decent-paying jobs without having to move away?

4. Healthcare: Will there be better access to local GPs, nurses, specialists and hospitals?

5. Transport and infrastructure: Will roads, public transport, broadband and reliable electricity receive investment?

6. Existing businesses: Will local employers be able to afford wages, equipment, premises, insurance and electricity while remaining profitable?

One particularly important distinction is between policies that help existing businesses survive and policies that actually bring new employers and industries into a town.

5. Where to compare the parties' actual policies

These resources provide further detail, including party documents:

• National – 2026 election policies
• Labour – 2026 election policies
• ACT – Official website
• Green Party – Official website
• NZ First – Official website
• Te Pāti Māori – Official website
• The Opportunity Party – Official website
• The Conversation – 2026 NZ Election Policy Tracker

6. One important question about your town

I would distinguish between two different economic problems:

• A town that has businesses but struggles to retain workers, attract investment and keep services operating.
• A town where there simply aren't enough employers or industries to provide good-paying jobs.

The policies needed to address these problems can be quite different.

May I ask one question?

What sort of small-town economy best describes where you work?

• A. A former industrial or manufacturing town where businesses have closed.
• B. A service town with shops, trades and small businesses, but limited employment opportunities.
• C. A tourism town with seasonal employment.
• D. A regional town with some farming, but where most people work outside agriculture.
• E. A small town with very few employers and limited opportunities for young people.

I can then make a more focused comparison of the seven parties, looking specifically at which policies address local employment, healthcare access, transport and keeping families in small-town New Zealand—without recommending how you should vote.