# Question 107: I'm a Pacific voter in a multigenerational household with children and older relatives. Our main concerns are household costs, enough space and access to healthcare. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on affordable healthcare and services accessible to Pacific families? Collected 2 November 2026 [NZ Election 2026 · Edition 8 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: eadf0fde-8205-4901-9824-1befb7b07539 For your household, the most important distinction between the parties is whether they make healthcare cheaper for everyone, whether they specifically address Pacific health inequities, and whether they invest in services that families can actually access. There are meaningful differences in the 2026 election policies. Labour and the Greens have particularly prominent proposals to reduce the direct cost of healthcare, while National emphasises increasing capacity and maintaining its existing health-system direction. NZ First focuses on medicines and reducing waiting lists. Here is how I would compare them. ## 1. Healthcare affordability: party comparison Based on published 2026 election commitments and reporting available as at 1 November 2026. ### Labour ![South Island Election Conference 2026](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/_spFKDBqOMVPoo8r35YLoGFwljs_-WWe4ur9fdZCfekzAxaUPGA75u8rI9uxOUTssI2hUZN1r4Zu1AeDrcNaxz3uHoFIyWjDpanT5s-KJ87QzxSu1uNjNL4MOHSuazRZuTy_TzC6aN4wxHHoyU_DhzMFuMCMjNBTtg2xRxOZL6c?purpose=inline) New Zealand Labour Party Strong focus on reducing healthcare costs Labour's proposals include: - Three free GP visits per person each year through a new Medicard. - Removing the $5 prescription charge. - Free maternity scans. - Free cervical screening for women aged 25–69. - Guaranteed employment for eligible New Zealand-trained graduate nurses. - A proposed $4-an-hour pay increase for care and support workers. What this could mean for your family: This is potentially significant in a multigenerational household. Children, working-age adults and older relatives could all benefit from free GP visits. Removing prescription charges could also help households where several family members regularly need medication. The proposed pay increase for care workers could benefit Pacific workers in the sector. An important qualification: Labour's three free visits are per person, but access still depends on having available doctors and appointments. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)[Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)[Wellness, wait time, workforce: Pacific Health leaders put parties to the test](https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/wellness-wait-time-workforce-pacific-health-leaders-put-parties-to-the-test) ### Green Party Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand Broadest proposed expansion of publicly funded care The Greens propose: - Moving towards fully publicly funded primary healthcare. - Expanding publicly funded adult dental care. - More investment in mental health services. - Better funding and working conditions for primary-care nurses and community health providers. - More funding for medicines and medical devices. - Greater emphasis on preventive healthcare and health equity. The Greens have also proposed an additional $3 billion annually for health, funded through a wealth tax. What this could mean for your family: Adult dental care is particularly important. Dental treatment can become a substantial expense when several adults and older relatives need treatment. Their emphasis on community healthcare and prevention could also benefit families who need culturally appropriate support before health problems become serious. The main question is whether the additional funding would translate into enough dentists, nurses, GPs and community services. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)[Wellness, wait time, workforce: Pacific Health leaders put parties to the test](https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/wellness-wait-time-workforce-pacific-health-leaders-put-parties-to-the-test) ### National ![Will National Party Finish 2nd in New Zealand's 2026 Election?](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/LCDs4P76HEgfCayafHeSga8GCw12Vxs2fPc3toeyLUZ-wmb6UiGRZY6bhdT1xRejtICfUd6GX2BWmI76EkpoWuffTU4g32bP_qUJp29rsfn5_Zvj5THHSYTLHSoo_5_YQyZ3zKE1WIpB4bu7raRltFl5TZFCgCcE0quf_GohkFI?purpose=inline) New Zealand National Party Focus on capacity and treatment access National's approach focuses on: - Increasing hospital and elective treatment capacity. - Using both public and private providers to reduce waiting lists. - Expanding urgent and after-hours services. - Increasing medical training places. - Funding additional medicines, including cancer treatments. - Maintaining measurable health targets. National has also adopted free cervical screening and expanded some cancer screening programmes. What this could mean for your family: The emphasis on more hospital procedures and treatment capacity could benefit older relatives waiting for specialist appointments or operations. More urgent and after-hours services could also help working parents who struggle to arrange appointments during normal working hours. However, National's approach does not offer the same broad new promise of free GP visits and prescriptions as Labour. There is also a significant difference in approach to health equity: National favours an integrated national health system rather than separate Māori health governance structures. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery) ### ACT ![New Zealand Legislative Election Winner 2026 Odds | Polymarket](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/jofoEEdOXv6HOQzupGnQLgXlZKKPYTzvN6g4IUMlN6xdqX4l_qH5-Y0A3to5ytO5w95eGsg-WLInlnku5FmW0VEyKqhTiAqcZSbr_Z1e_uNyqacdq4zniDKhRNRugVUCsz1-CYpZeG4nO7sLuQKEQlQMBgJCAoyH3nC76yYHd6E?purpose=inline) ACT New Zealand Focus on efficiency and provider choice ACT proposes: - Allowing pharmacists and other health professionals to provide more healthcare services. - Greater use of private providers to reduce public waiting lists. - Increasing funding for medicines towards Australian levels. - Establishing comprehensive cancer centres in Auckland and Christchurch. - Allocating healthcare according to individual clinical need rather than ethnicity-based prioritisation. What this could mean for your family: More services through pharmacies could make some everyday healthcare easier to access. Additional medicines funding could be important for relatives with long-term health conditions. However, ACT's position differs from parties that explicitly support ethnicity-specific health initiatives and targeted Pacific health services. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery) ### New Zealand First ![New Zealand legislative election winner? Predictions & Od... 2026 | Polymarket](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/UmXClDd76aKEk_XyXfEEacFBHXO18HFMG1Im-weRm7tb64uGzBsRK3vWPXuiFN2zaWaNznb7eSDIJucKOhlXtwb6Lq-BYR6oxisKzHsWTxF5AsiLmtcNGDNtwCsXzgIuSp2vW4pa6pAda-tTriG23zKX1ZuknQ81HGh411pqRkM?purpose=inline) New Zealand First Focus on medicines and waiting lists Its health proposals include: - An additional $1.3 billion for medicines. - Replacing Pharmac with a new medicines agency. - A proposed $925 million annual fund allowing GPs to purchase specialist consultations and operations. - Recruiting more doctors internationally. - Nurse practitioner-led digital health clinics in areas with staffing shortages. - Health coaches working alongside GPs. What this could mean for your family: The medicines proposal could be valuable for older relatives who need ongoing prescriptions. The specialist waiting-list proposal could help family members waiting for treatment. Health coaches could also support older relatives who need assistance understanding their treatment and taking medication. However, the party's approach to Pacific-specific health inequities is less explicit than the Greens' emphasis on culturally appropriate community services. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)[Wellness, wait time, workforce: Pacific Health leaders put parties to the test](https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/wellness-wait-time-workforce-pacific-health-leaders-put-parties-to-the-test) ### Te Pāti Māori ![Te Pāti Māori - Party for Party vote - NZ Election 2023 - Policy.nz](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/wTV9hxAOYzs4MX6hnGtj_ELeSR1VPbP9l046HOwhp2UZZtCfc8KwwZVB0-2n6Iinr3uWiRyM4dEa2cD5LOOtdlAjSgoNQ0gG9QXoJwemLTDmXMMEl5IUWheogu0GzYSG6_D0Qtx7eW7Xz-IH5QOBxQf00r7YeBj1geAzgX4aFok?purpose=inline) Te Pāti Māori Strong focus on Māori-led health equity Te Pāti Māori proposes: - Strengthening Māori-led health services. - Greater community and whānau involvement in healthcare. - More emphasis on prevention and wellbeing. - Addressing housing, food security and income as factors affecting health. Important distinction: Its health policies are primarily directed towards Māori health equity and Māori-led services. They should not automatically be interpreted as specific commitments to Pacific health services. Nevertheless, its emphasis on community-led care and addressing social determinants of health may be relevant to some of the broader challenges facing Pacific families. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery) ### The Opportunities Party (TOP) ![](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/KZ1zP60v_ZeHHj3ij4DA2sVh6oX86DHN4x_RGhm63IEKbj8P_3phlgxON0_dzBqruxZt_piBvLSwWYOzxGtRjeiBIDJnBczyBauAihY7VhbFruy9Xq4tPeGbXtvfFHap7T9ZV_eOqtHyttigv_yv7jT6ibug6IoPJMJnJ8SLOeE?purpose=inline) The Opportunities Party Focus on long-term health investment TOP proposes: - A cross-party 10-year health plan. - Progressively increasing public health spending towards 9% of GDP. - Greater investment in primary and community healthcare. - More investment in preventive healthcare. At a Pacific health forum, TOP also emphasised involving community organisations in designing services. What this could mean for your family: Its longer-term approach could provide more stability for community health providers and preventive services. The key uncertainty is how quickly the proposals would produce lower healthcare costs for households. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)[Wellness, wait time, workforce: Pacific Health leaders put parties to the test](https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/wellness-wait-time-workforce-pacific-health-leaders-put-parties-to-the-test) ## 2. Which parties are addressing Pacific families' particular needs? This is an important distinction. A policy can benefit all New Zealanders without necessarily addressing the additional barriers experienced by Pacific communities. At a Pacific health political forum on 29 October, community leaders challenged parties on three issues: - Wellness and prevention. - Waiting times and access to treatment. - Growing and retaining Pacific health workers. Some of the differences were particularly revealing. | Party | Pacific health approach | | --- | --- | | Labour | Supports explicit equity measures recognising additional Pacific health needs. | | Greens | Supports properly resourced community providers and culturally appropriate services. | | National | Emphasises needs-based funding and integrated national services. | | NZ First | Emphasises clinical need, deprivation and health coaches. | | ACT | Emphasises individual clinical need rather than ethnicity-based prioritisation. | | TOP | Supports community organisations helping shape health services. | | Te Pāti Māori | Focuses primarily on Māori-led health equity and services. | At the forum, Green representatives argued that Pacific identities and needs should be explicitly recognised in health policy. Labour also argued for specific equity measures, while NZ First defended a needs-based approach. Pacific health leaders stressed the importance of adequately funding Pacific providers who understand how to engage with elders and families. [Wellness, wait time, workforce: Pacific Health leaders put parties to the test](https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/wellness-wait-time-workforce-pacific-health-leaders-put-parties-to-the-test)[Labour and Greens clash over what's ‘transformative’ for NZ's Pacific voters](https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/labour-and-greens-clash-over-what-s-transformative-for-nz-s-pacific-voters) ## 3. What matters particularly for a multigenerational household? I would look beyond the headline promise of free GP appointments. Your household has different needs across generations. ![About us :: Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/Hhr89wXDqSTH8tdFR6LXF47PpCxGCkyXYmn5RfZKLbm2411zKyYiFkoTvdhuV-Z3qFstzemZU2qiI9NQBT8SnJhOPnbcT_nz3f3rWmje7viFOdcwS52HnpOFFWAeqp-d3iHUa2Jdbt62pDsQNGji9utMb-B7z2_lnv6N7ox6rms?purpose=inline) Children and younger family members - Affordable GP visits. - Accessible dental care. - Immunisations and preventive services. - Mental health support. - Affordable prescriptions. ![Whānau Ora Support — Tangata Atumotu Trust](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/Ldv1cjvC9PYg6wxrgb2ljdCxV7qCTrRp4bLcH5ZdXH5Tc8a-SQLgJ0OEVV4c_HRRBzB2xvrc2J5Bx4WzLCcvleJYpkD_dkXtg8NHedE9mbhlMbPYEmCBwlH3dit4dsVBp3cnzTOJnvmfGApehtCb3vwO96YZODQOLiSJbtwOmDY?purpose=inline) Working-age adults and parents - Affordable primary healthcare. - Flexible appointments outside working hours. - Affordable medicines. - Maternity and reproductive healthcare. - Support for care and support workers. ![Pasifika health overview | Healthify](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/8JFudEKNycYMiqqL_shYudKdQLBBpB4ELJO9zQbcBzyR5peIEvXyZskXvJgnCWlhI16wlWlZh_ZVEJKxD7rks444e3b7iwv3kFsrpMK7ItJ9dD1PPka6BIfDRCldlBPfi85Xlne5hQMD0RYDS0-qO8KbyNxwtk_6rXwcz_vt1PY?purpose=inline) Older relatives and grandparents - Affordable ongoing prescriptions. - Specialist appointments without lengthy delays. - Accessible aged care. - Chronic disease management. - Culturally appropriate support and assistance navigating healthcare. There is also a connection between healthcare and housing. Overcrowded or unsuitable housing can affect respiratory health, children's wellbeing and older people's ability to recover from illness. For your household, housing policies that enable larger families to access suitable, warm and affordable homes should be considered alongside health policies. ## 4. My overall comparison Here is how I would interpret the policy differences against your priorities. These are qualitative assessments, not official party ratings. | Your priority | Parties with particularly relevant proposals | | --- | --- | | Free or cheaper GP visits | Labour, Greens | | Affordable adult dental care | Greens | | Cheaper prescriptions | Labour, NZ First, ACT | | Faster specialist treatment | National, NZ First, ACT | | Pacific-specific health equity | Labour, Greens | | Community-led culturally appropriate services | Greens, TOP | | More support for older relatives | National, NZ First, Labour and Greens through different proposals | | Greater long-term health investment | Greens, TOP | Three particularly important distinctions: 1. Labour: Its strongest immediate household proposition is reducing the cost of everyday healthcare through free GP visits and prescriptions. 2. Greens: Its strongest proposition is broader publicly funded healthcare, especially adult dental care, prevention and community-based services. 3. National: Its strongest proposition is increasing treatment capacity, expanding services and reducing waiting lists rather than introducing broad new free primary-care entitlements. NZ First and ACT offer alternative approaches that may appeal if medicines, specialist treatment and healthcare delivery efficiency are your biggest concerns. ## 5. Questions I would ask before deciding how to vote Given your family's circumstances, I would encourage you to look for answers to these five questions: - Will the party make it cheaper for every member of our household to see a GP? - Will grandparents and older relatives have better access to specialists, medicines and aged care? - Will Pacific community health providers receive enough funding to provide culturally appropriate services? - Will there be enough doctors, nurses and dentists to deliver the promised services? - Will the party address the relationship between overcrowded housing, household costs and family health? One important caution: election promises are not delivered services. The New Zealand Medical Journal's 2026 election analysis highlights workforce shortages and the difference between announcing new entitlements and actually having enough health professionals to provide them. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery) ## Useful resources before voting - [Policy.nz – Compare 2026 party health policies](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/health?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Palota – Explore election policies through a Pacific family lens](https://www.palota.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Vote.nz – Official voting information](https://www.vote.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Pacific Media Network – Pacific election coverage](https://pmn.co.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). The election is scheduled for 7 November 2026. ## My suggestion I would give particular attention to Labour and the Greens if reducing everyday healthcare costs and improving culturally appropriate Pacific services are your biggest priorities. I would also examine National and NZ First carefully if access to specialist treatment and medicines for older relatives is particularly important. That is not a voting instruction: the funding, workforce and practical delivery details matter just as much as the promises. One further area worth examining is housing. For a multigenerational Pacific household, a party might have excellent healthcare policies but still fail to address the shortage of affordable, appropriately sized family homes. Those two issues are closely connected. ## Gemini Answer ID: 02097b1e-e651-4573-b4eb-b3ebc60d9ffc For a multigenerational Pacific household balancing household costs, living space, and the healthcare needs of both children and older relatives, the major political parties approach the 2026 New Zealand general election with distinct strategies. Evaluating how parties compare on **affordable healthcare** and **accessible services** for Pacific families involves looking across primary care costs, medication, chronic disease prevention, and family support infrastructure. --- ### 1. Primary Care & Doctor Visits (Cost and Access) For families managing multiple generations, visiting the GP frequently adds up. Parties differ significantly on how they plan to lower these barriers: * **Labour:** Focuses heavily on direct cost-reduction in primary care. Their headline policy is the **"Medicard,"** which provides **three free General Practitioner (GP) or nurse consultations annually** for every person entitled to publicly funded healthcare. They are also backing this with a Family Doctor Loan Scheme to support practice ownership and build capacity. * **The Greens:** Propose a broader expansion of free healthcare, aiming to transition toward completely free, publicly owned primary care, mental health, and dental services over time. * **ACT & National:** Focus less on universal free GP visits and more on injecting funding directly into the workforce and primary infrastructure. ACT proposes ongoing multi-million dollar funding boosts to GP practices to help them stay open longer and reward additional appointments. National and other parties emphasize building primary care capacity by integrating health coaches and easing administrative burdens on GPs. ### 2. Medications & Prescriptions Older relatives often manage long-term conditions requiring regular prescriptions, making medicine costs a vital household budget item. * **Labour:** Has committed to **reinstating universally free prescriptions** for all funded medicines (removing the current $5 charge). * **National:** Focuses strongly on expanding Pharmac's budget (proposing a significant increase, such as $604M in targeted funding) to accelerate access to new cancer and life-saving medications. * **ACT:** Proposes increasing the share of the health budget spent on medicines annually to reach parity with Australia by 2033, alongside structural reforms to Pharmac and expanded roles for pharmacies. ### 3. Prevention, Screening, and Health Inequities (Pacific & Whānau Focus) Pacific families experience distinct health inequities, particularly concerning chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and specific cancers. * **Targeted Screenings:** Several parties have policy adjustments around screening. For example, some progressive and Māori/Pacific-focused frameworks advocate lowering screening ages (such as bowel screening) earlier for Māori and Pacific peoples given earlier onset risks. Labour and National have both championed expansions in free screening programs (such as nationwide free cervical screening and adjustments to breast and bowel screening thresholds). * **Preventative and Community Health:** Parties like New Zealand First and the Greens emphasize metabolic health, preventative nutrition, and community-based health coaches. Strategies that incorporate community spaces, mobile units, or provider networks culturally tailored to Pacific and Māori communities are central to bridging accessibility gaps for households with mobility or transport constraints. ### 4. Broader Household Support (Space and Cost of Living) Because your household spans multiple generations, healthcare access is tightly linked to broader economic pressures like housing space and daily living costs: * **Housing and Space:** Multigenerational living requires adequate housing capacity. Parties pitch various housing policies ranging from state/social housing builds to RMA (Resource Management Act) reforms to boost supply, though specific party approaches to overcrowding and culturally appropriate housing designs vary. * **Family Support & Child Costs:** Parties propose various adjustments to support young families—such as the Greens' proposals around expanding Best Start payments or universal child benefits, and Labour/National policies concerning ECE and family tax credits—which indirectly relieve the financial stress that impacts overall family health and wellness. --- ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: df1732f8-96d6-46dc-be78-edbcb6d4824d Navigating an election in a multigenerational Pacific household means looking at policies through a wide lens—balancing the immediate needs of young children, the fixed or stretched budgets of working adults, and the health and mobility needs of older relatives. The major political parties approaching the 2026 general election offer distinct pathways regarding household costs, housing space, and equitable healthcare access for Pacific families. * * * 1\. Healthcare and Accessibility For households caring for both young children and older relatives, primary care costs and wait times are critical. * **Labour:** Proposes a **Medicard system** providing three free GP visits (doctor or nurse) per year for every New Zealander, removing the $5 prescription fee for those entitled to public healthcare, and offering free maternity scans and cervical screening. They also pitch a Family Doctor Loan Scheme to support workforce growth. * **National:** Focuses on economic management, rebuilding frontline public services, and reducing wait times within the existing health infrastructure, emphasizing organizational delivery and economic stability to fund public services sustainably over time rather than sweeping universal subsidies. * **Green Party:** Focuses on equitable, publicly funded healthcare designed to remove financial and geographical barriers. Their platform emphasizes properly supporting and expanding the health workforce to cut wait times, with a specific focus on community-led and culturally appropriate care models for Pacific and Māori communities. * **Te Pāti Māori / NZ First:** Te Pāti Māori strongly advocates for independent, Māori- and Pacific-led health authorities and self-determination in health delivery to tackle systemic inequities. NZ First prioritizes frontline service delivery, targeting funding strictly to operational clinical care and regional/rural accessibility. * * * 2\. Household Costs and Cost of Living Multigenerational homes face high weekly expenditures on groceries, energy, and transport. * **Labour:** Proposes targeted cost-of-living relief including a $20 weekly public transport fare cap, a three-year fuel tax freeze, banning grocery price gouging, and introducing a SolarSaver scheme to lower household energy bills. * **National:** Highlights the delivery of previous income tax relief for working households, freezing fuel taxes, and scrapping regional fuel levies. Their approach centers on curbing inflation and growing the economy to increase real wages rather than market interventions or new subsidies. * **Green Party:** Proposes overhauling the tax system (introducing wealth/corporate taxes) to fund income boosts for low-to-middle-income families, alongside investments in free or cheap sustainable public transport and warmer, energy-efficient public housing. * * * 3\. Housing Space and Overcrowding Access to enough physical space—crucial for extended families—ties directly into housing supply, affordability, and tenancy laws. * **Labour:** Promotes a 5% first-home loan deposit target, rent-to-buy pathways, and a capital gains tax on investment properties to cool speculative property demand. * **National:** Focuses on boosting overall housing supply through planning and infrastructure reforms (such as unlocking land for development) to make buying or renting more attainable through broader market-led growth. * **Green Party:** Treats housing as a fundamental human right, advocating for a massive scale-up of public and state housing, strict renters' rights (warranties for warm, dry, large-enough homes), and progressive taxes on multi-property owners to prioritize families over speculators. * * * Key Questions to Weigh for Your Household: 1. **Direct Relief vs. Systemic Growth:** Do you prefer parties offering direct caps and subsidies (like free GP visits or transport caps from Labour/Greens), or those prioritizing broad tax relief and economic stabilization (like National)? 2. **Culturally Tailored Services:** Do you lean toward models like those from the Greens or Te Pāti Māori that advocate for dedicated, self-determined health and social service frameworks for Pacific and Indigenous communities? _To review specific policy details and candidate positions directly, you can explore theNew Zealand Labour Party Policies, National's Plan, or the Green Party Manifesto._ ## AI Overviews Answer ID: 90d22d6d-47e2-4b37-93ae-786d862ffea8 Managing a large, multigenerational household comes with unique pressures, especially when balancing the healthcare needs of children and older relatives against rising costs. For the **2026 New Zealand General Election** , political parties are presenting distinctly different approaches to making healthcare affordable and accessible. Here is how the main political parties compare on health policies that directly impact Pacific families and larger households: 🏥 Direct Cost Barriers (GP Visits & Prescriptions) * **Labour Party** : A core policy is the introduction of a **"Medicard" system** providing **three free GP visits per year** for every New Zealander. They also pledge to completely **remove the $5 prescription charge** and make all referred maternity scans and cervical screenings free. * **Green Party** : Going a step further, the Greens advocate for **universal free GP visits and free dental care** for everyone, prioritizing the rollout of community care clinics in high-need areas. * **National Party** : National rejects universal free GP visits, focusing instead on **targeted funding**. They prefer investing directly into primary care capacity and boosting public/private sector delivery (such as their funding for extra general practice enrolments and after-hours care). * **ACT Party** : ACT opposes free GP models, favoring a government-as-purchaser framework. They focus on **expanding the clinical scope for local pharmacies** to diagnose and treat minor ailments directly, aimed at cutting down the time and cost of visiting a doctor. 👵🏽 Care for Older Relatives & Specialized Care * **National & ACT**: Both parties prioritize **specialist treatment and medicine access**. National is boosting **Pharmac funding by $604 million** to give families faster access to cancer treatments and life-saving medicines. ACT plans to progressively increase medicine funding to reach parity with Australia by 2033 and establish dedicated regional cancer centers. * **New Zealand First** : Focused heavily on **preventative health and chronic illness management** (like diabetes and heart disease). They are campaigning on a major health reform to shift resources into metabolic health, nutrition education, and a dedicated fund to clear hospital waitlists. * **Labour** : Promising to protect and expand the **Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) strategies** , which include tailored health initiatives specifically designed to remove access barriers for Pacific and ethnic communities. * * * 📊 Quick Comparison: Healthcare for Large Households Policy Area| Labour| National| Greens| ACT| NZ First ---|---|---|---|---|--- **GP Doctor Fees**| 3 free visits/year (Medicard)| Targeted primary care capacity funding| Unlimited free GP visits| Patient choice / Private subsidy model| Support for current GP clinics **Prescriptions**| Fully free public prescriptions| Maintained standard subsidies| Fully free prescriptions & dental| Expanded pharmacy-led care| Streamlined nutrient approvals **Children & Maternal**| Free maternity scans| Expanded screening ages| Comprehensive youth wellness| Focused pediatric frameworks| Focus on youth nutrition **Funding Mechanism**| Targeted Capital Gains Tax (excluding family home)| Reallocating foreign aid budgets| Wealth tax on the ultra-rich| Public-Private Partnerships| Hospital efficiency savings 🏠 Overlap with Household Space & Costs Because health is tied to household space, it is worth noting how these blocks plan to handle large families: * **The Left (Labour/Greens)** look to relieve multigenerational stress by building thousands of new social homes and capping regional public transport costs ($20 max fare cap) to ensure vulnerable families can physically get to their medical appointments. * **The Right/Coalition (National/ACT/NZ First)** argue that reducing income tax, lowering inflation, and fast-tracking housing supply consents is the fastest way to give your household more disposable income to choose the care and housing space that works best for your relatives.