2026 New Zealand election: what would parties do about the cost of living?

For a household renting together and relying on rostered wages, there are two separate problems to consider:

1. Income uncertainty: Your household might earn less next week because you receive fewer shifts, even though your rent, power and other commitments remain unchanged.
2. Declining purchasing power: Even when you work your normal hours, groceries, petrol, electricity and rent can take up more of your combined income.

These are important distinctions when comparing election policies. A tax cut might help you keep more of your wages, but it doesn't necessarily help when your hours suddenly drop. Likewise, a minimum-wage increase doesn't necessarily protect someone whose employer offers fewer shifts.

The 2026 New Zealand general election is on 7 November 2026. The following is a comparison of the main parties' published policies and proposals as at 1 November. These are election commitments, not guaranteed outcomes. Election policy tracker: what the parties are promisingKnow Your Vote

1. The parties compared

The seven parties worth examining in this comparison are National, Labour, the Greens, ACT, New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori and the Opportunity Party.

Party	Main approach	Policies relevant to household budgets
Labour	Direct cost-of-living relief and employment protections	Inflation-linked minimum-wage increases, restoring pay equity, fair-pay agreements, cheaper transport, free prescriptions and action on grocery and electricity pricing.
National	Economic growth, lower government spending and tax restraint	No new taxes, more grocery competition through separating PAK'nSAVE and New World, energy reforms, and encouraging investment and job creation.
Green Party	Redistribution and stronger public services	First $10,000 of income tax-free, public transport investment, food grants, stronger renter protections, rent regulation and public involvement in electricity and supermarkets.
ACT	Lower taxes, smaller government and private-sector growth	Tax and regulatory changes intended to encourage investment, business activity and productivity. Its approach relies more on economic growth than direct household subsidies.
New Zealand First	Targeted household assistance and economic development	Annual minimum-wage increases over three years, substantially increased Working for Families, and proposals to reduce food costs.
Te Pāti Māori	Greater redistribution and lower costs for essentials	First $30,000 of income tax-free, removing GST from food, a tax credit for groceries for eligible earners, and increased taxation of wealth.
The Opportunity Party (TOP)	A guaranteed income and tax-system restructuring	A proposed citizen's income of up to $370 a week for nearly all adults, funded partly through a land-value tax.

Sources: The Conversation's 2026 policy tracker, Policy.nz's party comparison and parties' published policy material. Election policy tracker: what the parties are promisingPolicies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026Our Policy2026 Election Policy

There are some important differences behind these summaries.

Labour: targeting the bills you pay every week

Labour has published a relatively detailed cost-of-living package.

Its proposals include:

• A weekly public transport fare cap of $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 elsewhere.
• Free prescriptions by removing the $5 charge.
• Three free GP visits annually through a proposed Medicard.
• A three-year fuel-tax freeze.
• Measures against excessive grocery, fuel and electricity pricing.
• More supermarket competition through independently operated wholesalers.
• Minimum-wage increases in line with inflation.
• Restoring pay equity and fair-pay agreements.

For electricity, Labour also proposes low-interest solar loans and additional support of up to $3,000 for eligible low- and middle-income households.

What this could mean for you: More potential savings on regular expenses, particularly if you use public transport or pay for prescriptions and GP visits. Wage and employment policies could also matter if your industry is covered.

However, most of these measures don't directly guarantee income when your employer cuts your rostered hours. Release: Labour’s plan to lower bills and build a better New ZealandLabour's Cost of Living PlanElection policy tracker: what the parties are promising

National: keeping taxes down and growing the economy

National's argument is that household finances improve when businesses invest, productivity increases and more jobs become available.

Its published policies include:

• No new taxes.
• A focus on returning the Government to surplus.
• Reforms intended to improve competition between supermarkets.
• Changes intended to improve energy affordability and security.
• More housing construction and easier development.
• A welfare system focused on employment.

National also proposes making KiwiSaver compulsory for workers, with contributions gradually increasing towards 6% for both employers and employees by 2032.

What this could mean for you: The approach aims to improve employment opportunities and economic conditions over time. However, increased KiwiSaver contributions could also mean less immediately available take-home pay as the changes take effect.

There is less emphasis on direct compensation for households experiencing a sudden reduction in weekly working hours.

The Greens: stronger protections and more direct redistribution

The Green Party proposes a more substantial role for government in reducing household costs.

Its policies include:

• Making the first $10,000 of income tax-free.
• Increasing taxes on very high incomes and substantial wealth.
• More public investment in electricity and renewable energy.
• Stronger renter protections and rent regulation.
• Increasing food grants and doubling the cap on food grants from Work and Income.
• A $150 million fair-food fund.
• More affordable public transport.
• Restoring and expanding school lunches.

What this could mean for you: Lower income tax could leave more money in your weekly pay, while stronger tenancy protections could help address rent pressures. Food assistance and electricity reforms could also be relevant.

One important distinction is that stronger rental regulation and increased public spending are proposals that would need to be implemented and funded. Their actual effect on your rent and bills is not guaranteed.

ACT: lower taxes and less government intervention

ACT's general approach is to reduce government spending and regulation, encourage private investment and improve productivity.

Its tax proposals include moving towards a two-rate income-tax system with a 28% top rate, alongside changes to taxation of investment and KiwiSaver.

What this could mean for you: The emphasis is on economic growth, employment opportunities and allowing workers and businesses to retain more of their earnings.

The important question for your circumstances is what happens if your hours fall. ACT's general economic approach is less focused on direct household income guarantees or extensive price controls. Cost of Living Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026NZ Election 2026: Every Party's Tax Policy Compared

New Zealand First: wage increases and family assistance

New Zealand First has specifically pledged to campaign for:

• Annual minimum-wage increases for the next three years.
• A substantial increase in Working for Families tax credits.
• Measures aimed at reducing food costs.

Winston Peters also indicated a proposal to increase Working for Families by potentially more than $120 per week, although the full details and eligibility arrangements need to be checked against the final policy.

What this could mean for you: Higher minimum wages could help if you are paid near the minimum wage. However, Working for Families is principally relevant to households with dependent children, so it may not help a couple without children.

The distinction between a general wage increase and targeted family assistance is important. Our PolicyNZ First pledges $120/week-plus rise in Working for Family tax credits

Te Pāti Māori: reducing the tax burden on lower incomes

Te Pāti Māori proposes:

• Making the first $30,000 of income tax-free.
• Removing GST from food.
• An Income Tax Kai Credit for people earning up to $60,000, worth up to the equivalent of eight weeks of groceries annually.
• Additional taxation of substantial wealth.

What this could mean for you: The tax-free threshold and grocery credit could directly benefit lower-income earners. Removing GST from food is intended to reduce grocery costs more broadly.

The important questions are how the measures would be funded, how the grocery credit would work and how much of the GST reduction retailers would pass on to consumers. Election policy tracker: what the parties are promisingCost of Living Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

The Opportunity Party: a regular income rather than relying entirely on wages

TOP proposes a citizen's income of up to $370 a week for nearly all adults.

The proposed system would replace most existing benefits, with additional support for groups such as parents and superannuitants. It would be funded partly through a 1.75% annual land-value tax.

What this could mean for you: This is particularly relevant to the problem of variable working hours.

A regular income payment could provide a baseline when your rostered wages fall. However, the details matter enormously: eligibility, how payments interact with wages, how existing benefits are replaced and whether your household would actually receive the full amount.

It is a proposed major restructuring of the welfare and tax systems, rather than a small adjustment to existing benefits.

2. Which policies address unpredictable weekly pay?

This is arguably the most important part of your situation.

Here is how the proposals compare against the specific problem of having a smaller payslip one week.

Policy question	Relevant parties
A regular income independent of hours worked	TOP
More take-home pay through income-tax changes	Greens, Te Pāti Māori, ACT
Minimum-wage increases	Labour, NZ First
Stronger pay and employment protections	Labour, Greens
More assistance with grocery costs	Greens, Te Pāti Māori, Labour
Increased family tax credits	NZ First, where eligible
Lower everyday transport and healthcare costs	Labour, Greens
Less government intervention and lower taxes	National, ACT

One thing stands out: most parties concentrate on increasing wages or reducing expenses, rather than protecting workers from fluctuations in their weekly hours.

TOP's citizen's income is a particularly different proposal because it addresses the idea of having a dependable income floor. But its implementation and interaction with existing assistance would need careful examination.

3. Renting deserves separate consideration

Because you rent rather than own your home, housing policy matters differently.

Consider these questions when assessing the parties:

• Would your rent be more predictable?
• Would you have better protection against unexpected rent increases?
• Would electricity costs become more manageable?
• Would you receive help with housing costs if your income dropped?
• Would policies make it easier to save a deposit without sacrificing your ability to pay rent?

The Greens propose stronger rent regulation and renter protections. Labour has proposed a rent-to-buy scheme for eligible working tenants in Kāinga Ora and participating community housing properties, offering a $100 weekly credit towards a future deposit.

National places greater emphasis on increasing housing supply and enabling construction.

These approaches have different objectives: immediate protection for existing renters versus improving housing supply and affordability over time. Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising2026 Election Policy

4. Something worth checking about your current employment rights

There is also a distinction between genuinely casual employment and employment with guaranteed hours but variable rosters.

Under New Zealand employment law:

• Your employment agreement should specify agreed hours or explain the working-time arrangements.
• An employer generally cannot require you to remain available beyond guaranteed hours without meeting the requirements for a valid availability provision.
• Shift cancellation provisions must specify reasonable notice and compensation if the required notice isn't provided.

This is worth checking if your employer regularly changes your roster or cancels shifts. Version as at 21 February 2026  Employment Relations Act 2000  Part 6 s 67GEmployment agreements and making a job offerWorking overtime or extra shifts

Official information: Employment New Zealand – working overtime and extra shifts.

5. How I would assess the policies against your circumstances

Rather than looking only at which party promises the biggest wage increase or tax reduction, I'd examine five things:

What matters	What to look for
Income stability	Support when weekly earnings unexpectedly fall
Take-home pay	How much of your wages you actually retain
Rent security	Protections against increases and housing insecurity
Grocery affordability	Whether food costs are directly addressed
Essential bills	Electricity, transport and healthcare assistance

I'd also pay attention to whether a policy benefits individuals or households.

For example, a tax-free threshold might benefit each eligible earner individually, while some welfare and family assistance payments depend on combined household income, relationship status and whether you have children.

That distinction can make a substantial difference to a couple who both work.

6. My suggested questions to ask before voting

There are three questions I would particularly want parties to answer:

1. If someone normally works 35 hours but receives only 18 hours next week, what financial support would be available?
2. If both partners work but their combined income fluctuates, what assistance is available before they fall behind on rent or bills?
3. What will actually make groceries, electricity and rent more affordable, rather than simply assuming wages will eventually catch up?

These questions get beyond election slogans and into the practical consequences of policy.

For further independent comparisons, these are useful resources:

• Policy.nz – compare 2026 party policies.
• The Conversation – 2026 election policy tracker.
• Know Your Vote – 2026 election guide.

One question that would help me make this comparison more useful

Do you and your partner have children, or is it just the two of you?

I'm asking because it changes the relevance of Working for Families, family tax credits and several other policies.

I can then put together a more focused comparison of all seven parties, specifically looking at a two-adult renting household with fluctuating weekly wages, including which proposals could help immediately, which offer longer-term benefits, and which might make little difference to your circumstances.