# Question 126: For the 2026 New Zealand general election: What are parties offering on job creation, wages, retraining and employment rights? Collected 31 October 2026 [NZ Election 2026 · Edition 7 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/7) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: 07e30e00-f15b-41e1-b5db-bbc36531ebc4 # 2026 New Zealand general election: Jobs, wages, training and workers' rights Policy comparison · 31 October 2026 · New Zealand The central divide between the parties is how to create jobs and who should benefit from economic growth. - National and ACT emphasise business growth, reducing employment costs and making it easier for employers to hire. - Labour emphasises infrastructure investment, apprenticeships, skilled employment, stronger workplace protections and higher pay. - The Greens put greater emphasis on secure employment, a higher wage floor, publicly supported jobs and stronger collective bargaining. - NZ First focuses on minimum-wage increases, support for small businesses and keeping employment opportunities in New Zealand. - Opportunity emphasises innovation, research, technology and investment in future industries. - Te Pāti Māori brings a Māori-led approach to economic development, employment and skills. Below is a comparison of the main proposals, distinguishing between announced policies and broader party approaches. ## 1. Party-by-party comparison ### National Business-led growth Job creation - Grow the economy by supporting businesses, investment, exports and productivity. - Reduce compliance costs and employment-related barriers for small businesses through a 47-point small-business plan. - Support commercial construction and infrastructure development. - Help New Zealanders stay or return from overseas to fill skills gaps. Wages - No commitment to increase the minimum wage above inflation. - Emphasises wage growth through productivity and economic growth. - Supports compulsory KiwiSaver contributions for workers, with additional measures for older workers and parents. Retraining and skills - Emphasis on education, practical skills and preparing young people for employment. - Business-led approach to addressing skills shortages. Employment rights - Does not support restoring Fair Pay Agreements. - Has proposed reducing employment disputes and compliance costs for employers. - Its approach gives employers more flexibility rather than expanding collective bargaining. Overall: National argues that stronger businesses and a growing economy are the best route to more jobs and higher wages. The trade-off is less emphasis on strengthening collective worker protections. [2026 Election Policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies)[October AMM Comms: Election 2026 – What the Parties Are Proposing for Employers and Small Businesses](https://www.ammlaw.co.nz/october-amm-comms-election-2026-what-the-parties-are-proposing-for-employers-and-small-businesses)[Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU](https://union.org.nz/election-scorecards-26/) ### Labour Jobs investment and worker protections Job creation - The Start Work Now programme would invest in social housing, school improvements and hospital repairs, creating construction and trades employment. - Supports nearly 30,000 apprentices into work. - Guarantees eligible New Zealand-trained graduate nurses jobs in the health system from 2027. - Supports small businesses through faster government payments and a target of 15% of government contracts going to small businesses and start-ups. Wages - Increase the minimum wage in line with inflation. - Restore pay equity legislation. - Give approximately 65,000 care and support workers an immediate $4-an-hour pay rise. - Increase compulsory employer KiwiSaver contributions to 6% by 2032. Retraining and skills - Expand Apprenticeship Boost, including: - Employer payments extended to two years. - A $1,000 toolbox grant for new apprentices. - Five additional trades covered from July 2027. - Invest $21 million annually in Māori-led vocational training. - Support apprenticeships and training in construction and infrastructure. Employment rights - Restore Fair Pay Agreements, allowing industry-wide negotiations over minimum employment conditions. - Restore pay equity protections. - Commit to the Living Wage across the public service. - Strengthen workplace health and safety protections. Overall: Labour combines government-funded job creation with training investment and stronger employment rights. It is one of the clearest alternatives to the business-first approach of National and ACT. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/our-policies/)[Make a Plan](https://www.labour.org.nz/2026-campaign/make-a-plan/)[Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy) ### Green Party Higher wages and secure work Job creation - Establish a Jobs for Young People pilot, providing jobs through local councils for 16–24-year-olds who have been unemployed for six months. - Invest in science, research, innovation and technology. - Support job creation in environmentally sustainable industries. Wages - Increase the minimum wage towards the Living Wage. - Abolish the training wage so apprentices receive proper wages for their work. - Restore pay equity legislation. - Support fairer pay and conditions across industries. Retraining and skills - Abolish the training wage. - Provide a $2,000 apprentice equipment grant. - Increase funding for Māori- and Pasifika-led training by $30 million annually. - Offer employers a $2,000 completion bonus when apprentices progress through their qualifications. Employment rights - Restore Fair Pay Agreements. - Strengthen collective bargaining and workers' ability to organise. - Support pay transparency and closing pay gaps. - Strengthen protections for workers affected by workplace changes and emerging technologies, including AI. Overall: The Greens have a particularly strong emphasis on improving job quality, lifting the wages of lower-paid workers and ensuring young people can access employment. [Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/)[Minimum Wage](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-minimum-wage/)[2026 Election Policy Summaries](https://apex.org.nz/resources/2026-election-policy-summaries/) ### ACT Employer flexibility and deregulation Job creation - Reduce the cost and risk of employing people. - Simplify employment law and reduce compliance requirements. - Encourage small businesses to expand and hire more workers. Wages - Freeze the adult minimum wage for three years. - Introduce a training wage for workers under 20 at 60% of the adult minimum wage. - Argues wage increases should be more closely linked to productivity. Retraining and skills - Supports a more flexible approach to training and employment. - Proposes lower training wages to encourage employers to take on younger workers. Employment rights - Make it easier for employers to terminate employment relationships through a proposed golden-handshake arrangement. - Reduce the time available to bring certain personal grievances. - Make union-fee payroll deductions voluntary. - Opposes restoring Fair Pay Agreements. Overall: ACT argues that reducing the risks and costs of hiring will encourage businesses to create jobs. Its proposals would, however, reduce some existing protections and bargaining power for employees. [Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/)[October AMM Comms: Election 2026 – What the Parties Are Proposing for Employers and Small Businesses](https://www.ammlaw.co.nz/october-amm-comms-election-2026-what-the-parties-are-proposing-for-employers-and-small-businesses)[2026 Election Policy Summaries](https://apex.org.nz/resources/2026-election-policy-summaries/)[Minimum Wage](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-minimum-wage/) ### New Zealand First Wage protection and small-business support Job creation - Reduce the company tax rate for small and medium-sized businesses to 20%. - Support domestic businesses and employment. - Focus on economic independence and employment opportunities for New Zealanders. Wages - Increase the minimum wage by at least inflation each year for the next three years. - Increase Working for Families in-work tax credits, improving take-home income for working families. Retraining and skills - Supports practical skills and vocational employment. - Emphasises employment opportunities for New Zealanders, although its specific retraining commitments are less developed in the available policy summaries. Employment rights - Does not support restoring Fair Pay Agreements. - Has not put forward the same broad collective bargaining expansion as Labour or the Greens. - Emphasises wage increases and household income support rather than extensive changes to employment rights. Overall: NZ First combines a commitment to protecting the purchasing power of minimum-wage workers with tax relief for smaller businesses. [October AMM Comms: Election 2026 – What the Parties Are Proposing for Employers and Small Businesses](https://www.ammlaw.co.nz/october-amm-comms-election-2026-what-the-parties-are-proposing-for-employers-and-small-businesses)[Minimum Wage](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-minimum-wage/)[Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU](https://union.org.nz/election-scorecards-26/) ### The Opportunity Party Innovation and future industries Job creation - Develop high-skill industries, including research, software and high-tech manufacturing. - Increase research and development investment to at least 2% of GDP. - Offer tax incentives for technology investment and innovation. - Help small businesses adopt new digital technologies. Wages - No specific minimum-wage increase commitment in its published policy summaries. - Proposes a Citizen's Income of $19,400 annually, funded through a Land Value Tax. - Supports ending exemptions that allow disabled workers to be paid below the minimum wage. Retraining and skills - Emphasises developing skills for technology-intensive and high-productivity industries. - Supports research and innovation as a source of future employment. Employment rights - Supports restoring pay equity claims. - Supports ending the minimum-wage exemption for disabled workers. - Does not support restoring Fair Pay Agreements. Overall: Opportunity's approach is to transform the types of jobs New Zealand creates, rather than concentrate primarily on conventional minimum-wage and employment-law changes. [October AMM Comms: Election 2026 – What the Parties Are Proposing for Employers and Small Businesses](https://www.ammlaw.co.nz/october-amm-comms-election-2026-what-the-parties-are-proposing-for-employers-and-small-businesses)[Minimum Wage](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-minimum-wage/)[Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU](https://union.org.nz/election-scorecards-26/) ### Te Pāti Māori Māori economic self-determination Job creation - Support Māori-owned businesses, enterprises and economic development. - Promote Māori economic self-determination and greater Māori ownership of productive assets. - Support community-led economic development. Wages - Support increasing the minimum wage to the Living Wage. - Support restoring pay equity legislation. - Support ending the minimum-wage exemption for disabled workers. Retraining and skills - Emphasise Māori-led education and vocational development. - Support Māori communities having greater control over skills development and employment pathways. - Support investment in Māori economic development. Employment rights - Support restoring Fair Pay Agreements. - Support stronger pay equity protections. - Support the Living Wage across government employment and contracting. Overall: Te Pāti Māori places particular importance on Māori ownership, economic independence, fair wages and addressing structural employment inequalities. [October AMM Comms: Election 2026 – What the Parties Are Proposing for Employers and Small Businesses](https://www.ammlaw.co.nz/october-amm-comms-election-2026-what-the-parties-are-proposing-for-employers-and-small-businesses)[Party policies, simplified: Employment](https://www.thedlist.co.nz/newsfeed/party-policies-simplified-employment/)[Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU](https://union.org.nz/election-scorecards-26/) ## 2. Quick comparison: where the parties stand The following table highlights the biggest differences. | Party | Minimum wage | Apprenticeships / training | Fair Pay Agreements | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | National | No clear above-inflation commitment | Skills and business-led training | Opposes restoration | | Labour | Inflation-linked increases | Expanded funding and support | Restore | | Greens | Move towards Living Wage | Abolish training wage; grants | Restore | | ACT | Freeze for 3 years | Lower training wage | Opposes restoration | | NZ First | At least inflation increases | Practical skills focus | Opposes restoration | | Opportunity | No specific increase policy | High-tech skills and innovation | Opposes restoration | | Te Pāti Māori | Move towards Living Wage | Māori-led training | Restore | [Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU](https://union.org.nz/election-scorecards-26/)[Minimum Wage](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-minimum-wage/)[2026 Election Policy Summaries](https://apex.org.nz/resources/2026-election-policy-summaries/) ## 3. What matters most for workers? There are four particularly important differences. 1. Who benefits from economic growth? - National and ACT expect business growth and productivity to create employment and improve wages. - Labour wants government investment to create jobs directly, alongside private-sector growth. - The Greens favour more direct government involvement in creating employment and improving working conditions. - Opportunity wants to create higher-productivity industries. - NZ First emphasises domestic businesses and household purchasing power. - Te Pāti Māori prioritises Māori ownership and economic self-determination. 2. Will wages keep up with living costs? - Labour and NZ First commit to minimum-wage increases linked to inflation. - The Greens and Te Pāti Māori want to move towards the Living Wage. - ACT proposes a three-year minimum-wage freeze. - National has not made an equivalent clear above-inflation commitment. - Opportunity's Citizen's Income is a different approach to improving financial security. 3. Will young people have better access to employment? - Labour has substantial apprenticeship funding and a graduate nurse job guarantee. - The Greens propose council-supported jobs for unemployed young people and better apprentice pay. - National focuses on skills and business-led employment. - ACT wants lower training wages to encourage employers to hire younger workers. 4. Will workers have stronger rights? This is arguably the sharpest dividing line. - Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori support restoring Fair Pay Agreements. - National and ACT oppose restoring them. - NZ First also opposes restoration. - Opportunity does not support restoring them. Fair Pay Agreements are important because they allow employers and unions to negotiate minimum pay and conditions across entire industries, rather than leaving workers to negotiate individually. [Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU](https://union.org.nz/election-scorecards-26/)[2026 Election Policy Summaries](https://apex.org.nz/resources/2026-election-policy-summaries/) ## 4. Where to find the original policies For checking the details before voting, these are useful resources: - [Labour – 2026 election policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/our-policies/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - [National – 2026 election policies](https://www.national.org.nz/policies?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - [NZ Council of Trade Unions – Working people policy scorecards](https://union.org.nz/election-scorecards-26/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - [Retail NZ – Minimum wage policy comparison](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-minimum-wage/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - [The Conversation – 2026 election policy tracker](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - [Employment lawyers' comparison of party policies (28 October 2026)](https://www.ammlaw.co.nz/october-amm-comms-election-2026-what-the-parties-are-proposing-for-employers-and-small-businesses?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## 5. Overall assessment If your main concern is getting more people into jobs, Labour has a particularly detailed programme of direct employment and apprenticeship investment. National and ACT focus more on making it easier for businesses to hire. If your main concern is higher wages, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have the strongest Living Wage ambitions, while Labour and NZ First have explicit inflation-linked minimum-wage commitments. If your main concern is retraining and career opportunities, Labour has particularly concrete apprenticeship proposals, while Opportunity focuses on the development of future industries and the Greens on accessible training. If your main concern is employment rights, fair pay and job security, Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori offer the strongest commitments to restoring collective bargaining and pay equity protections. One important qualification: These are election promises, not enacted changes. Coalition negotiations, funding decisions and legislation will determine what actually happens after the election. The general election is scheduled for 7 November 2026. ## Gemini Answer ID: 0d8c9c6f-6c45-4b5e-bbfc-09594c2ea10d For the **2026 New Zealand general election**, political parties have drawn distinct lines across job creation, wages, retraining, and employment rights. The policy landscape reflects a fundamental debate between centre-right approaches focusing on business cost-reduction, flexibility, and wage restraint versus centre-left and progressive approaches focusing on worker protections, minimum-to-living wage alignments, and state-backed training. --- ### 1. Job Creation & Small Business Support * **National and Right-Leaning Parties:** Focus heavily on easing business compliance, cutting red tape, and reforming immigration settings (such as specialized or targeted workforce visas) to fill genuine skills gaps without inflating living costs. Policies emphasize creating a predictable environment for private enterprise and supporting small-to-medium businesses (SMEs) to stimulate hiring. * **Labour:** Focuses on targeted industry support and government procurement targets—such as setting goals for a percentage of government contracts to go to local small businesses and start-ups. They have also proposed prompt-payment legislation (ensuring large companies pay small businesses within 15 days) and tax write-offs for small business equipment investment to encourage expansion and hiring. --- ### 2. Wages & Pay Equity * **Minimum Wage Policies:** * **National / Right-leaning approaches:** Propose cautious adjustments or freezes to the adult minimum wage (such as a 3-year freeze proposal from some conservative elements paired with youth training wages) to curb business overheads. * **Labour / NZ First / Progressives:** Support adjusting the minimum wage annually by at least the rate of inflation, with progressive parties (like the Greens and Te Pāti Māori) pushing to raise the baseline minimum wage directly to the calculated **living wage**. * **Pay Equity & Sector Pay:** Labour has campaigned heavily on reinstating and strengthening pay equity legislation within their first 100 days, including immediate targeted pay increases for essential care and support workforces. --- ### 3. Retraining & Upskilling * **Apprenticeships and Trades:** * Labour has proposed expanding the **Apprenticeship Boost** scheme (extending employer payments to two years) alongside a "$1,000 toolbox grant" to assist new apprentices with initial gear and course costs. * Increased funding targeted toward Māori-led trades training and regional upskilling programs to shift workers into secure, high-income industries. * **Public Sector Workforce Training:** Specific pipelines, such as guaranteed job offers within the public health system for domestic graduate nurses, are being leveraged to secure and retain critical domestic workforces. --- ### 4. Employment Rights & Industrial Relations The debate over employment law centers heavily on rolling back or defending recent changes made to workplace relations: * **The Contractor vs. Employee Gateway:** Recent statutory frameworks clarifying independent contractor definitions face strong pushback from Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori, who intend to strengthen tests distinguishing employees from contractors to ensure workers maintain standard statutory protections. * **Collective Bargaining & Union Rights:** Left-bloc parties support strengthening collective bargaining rights, exploring frameworks like multi-employer collective agreements, and introducing measures like default union membership (opt-out models) for covered workplaces. Conversely, centre-right parties favor individual contracting flexibility and trial-period provisions. * **Personal Grievances & Disputing:** Parties on the left have signaled intent to review or remove high-income thresholds and restrictive modifications regarding personal grievances and 90-day trial periods, aiming to broaden access to remedies for dismissed or disadvantaged workers. ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: ac0b7908-7718-4e0f-a09d-89789bdede6f As the 2026 New Zealand general election approaches, political parties have outlined their policy platforms concerning employment, workplace relations, and economic growth. The key stances and proposals from major parties in these areas include: **New Zealand Labour Party** Per the Labour Party 2026 Manifesto, Labour centers its strategy on worker protections, wage growth, and reversing recent regulatory rollbacks: * **Job Creation & Economy:** Emphasizes public investment, sustainable infrastructure, and ending the health hiring freeze. * **Wages:** Pledges annual minimum wage increases tied to inflation, public service Living Wage implementation, gender/demographic pay gap transparency, and early pay equity settlements for care workers. * **Retraining & Skills:** Focuses on student loan support and aligning training pathways with workforce demands. * **Employment Rights:** Plans to reinstate Fair Pay Agreements, repeal recent employment law changes, redefine contractor protections, introduce a corporate homicide offense, and mandate holiday pay during parental leave. **New Zealand National Party** Per the National Party 2026 Policy Platform, National prioritizes private-sector growth, reduced compliance, and welfare reform over heavy labor market intervention: * **Job Creation & Economy:** Targets small business support, reduced bureaucratic delays, and streamlined commercial consents to stimulate private enterprise. * **Wages & Cost of Living:** Focuses on tax restraint and inflation reduction instead of mandated public sector wage expansions. * **Retraining & Employment Support (Welfare):** Centers on active job-readiness and transition programs to move beneficiaries into sustainable employment. * **Employment Rights:** Favors hiring flexibility and a streamlined regulatory environment for businesses over collective bargaining models.