# Question 86: We run a farm and live well outside a main centre. We are weighing operating costs, environmental obligations and access to local services. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties offering on trade access and protecting agricultural exports?

Collected 2 November 2026

[NZ Election 2026 · Edition 8 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8)

## ChatGPT

Answer ID: 42ae600f-2c7a-4602-a63b-339178a69581

# 2026 New Zealand election: trade, farming and agricultural exports

For a farming business in rural New Zealand, the election debate is about more than export prices. It is also about the cost of meeting environmental rules, access to overseas markets, biosecurity, transport infrastructure and whether rural communities can retain access to essential services.

I would separate the parties' positions into three questions:

1. Market access: What are they proposing to do to secure and expand access to overseas markets for meat, dairy, horticulture and other primary products?
2. Farm operating costs: What do they propose on emissions pricing, freshwater, biodiversity, resource consents and agricultural regulation?
3. Rural resilience: What are their policies on roads, freight, telecommunications, health services and rural infrastructure?

One important distinction: a trade agreement opening a market does not necessarily mean farmers will receive better prices. Tariffs, quotas, overseas standards, processing costs and exchange rates also matter.

## 1. What the major parties are offering

The following reflects published 2026 campaign policies and statements available as at 1 November 2026. I've distinguished specific commitments from broader statements of support.

### National

Published trade and farming plans

Trade and exports

- Prioritise new trade agreements with countries in Europe, South America, Africa and Asia.
- Begin negotiations with seven new economies over five years.
- Aim to double the value of exports by 2034.
- Expand digital customs and paperless trade, with a stated target of eliminating $1 billion in non-tariff barriers.
- Conduct at least 23 trade missions over the next parliamentary term.
- Give NZ Trade and Enterprise a stronger export-development role. [New Zealand's Next Billion Customers](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/new-trade)[National sets out plan to double exports by 2034](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/double-exports)

Farm operating costs and environment

- Keep agriculture outside the Emissions Trading Scheme.
- Continue simplifying farm regulations and resource consent requirements.
- Introduce 19 national farming standards covering activities such as irrigation, fertiliser, effluent, farm tracks and water storage.
- Provide $300 million in concessional loans for water-storage projects.
- Negotiate fertiliser supply agreements and establish a $10 million Critical Agri Inputs Fund. [Backing NZ’s farmers and growers, to grow and open new expor](https://www.national.org.nz/delivered/farming)[National sets out plan to double exports by 2034](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/double-exports)[Securing water and fertiliser to back NZ farmers](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/securing-water-and-fertiliser)

What this could mean for your farm: The emphasis is on expanding export opportunities, production flexibility, water security and reducing compliance costs. One issue to examine is whether the proposed simplification of environmental rules provides sufficient certainty around future freshwater and land-use obligations.

### Labour

Trade and exports

Labour's published 2026 campaign material places more emphasis on domestic economic conditions, small business and cost of living than on a detailed new agricultural trade programme.

Its stated priorities include:

- Deepening relationships with the EU, Canada, ASEAN and Pacific countries.
- Supporting international institutions and multilateral cooperation.
- Improving competition and fairness for food producers dealing with major supermarkets.
- Ending unfair supplier fees and contracts imposed by large supermarket businesses. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)[Fairer Grocery Prices](https://www.labour.org.nz/fairer-grocery-prices)

Farm operating costs and environment

- Labour proposes fixing the Emissions Trading Scheme and maintaining New Zealand's commitment to the Paris Agreement.
- Its approach is more focused on emissions accountability than National's or ACT's.
- Its small-business proposals include a $10,000 instant asset write-off and faster payment requirements for small suppliers.
- It proposes a three-year fuel excise tax freeze, potentially relevant to farm transport and machinery costs. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)[Labour's Cost of Living Plan](https://www.labour.org.nz/election-policy-pages/2026-election-policy-summary-pages/cost-of-living-plan/)

What this could mean for your farm: Look closely at the eventual emissions-pricing arrangements and their treatment of agricultural producers. Labour's supermarket proposals may also be relevant if you supply domestic food markets, although they are not a substitute for overseas export-market access.

### ACT

Detailed farming policy published

Trade and exports

ACT's published farming plan is more detailed on domestic production costs and regulation than on negotiating new export agreements. Its position includes:

- Reducing regulatory costs affecting agricultural inputs.
- Recognising trusted overseas approvals for agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines.
- Supporting farmers' access to technology and a rural workforce visa.
- Reducing barriers to direct farm sales. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again)

Farm operating costs and environment

- Permanently exclude agricultural emissions from the ETS.
- Oppose agricultural emissions taxes or pricing schemes.
- Reduce the carbon tax affecting fuel and farm inputs.
- Remove resource consent requirements for routine farming activities that meet national standards.
- Make freshwater rules more locally and scientifically based.
- Repeal the Zero Carbon Act and end the net-zero target.
- Support practical catchment groups and voluntary conservation initiatives. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again)

What this could mean for your farm: ACT is proposing significant changes to compliance obligations and emissions policy. Its approach would reduce some direct regulatory costs, but you would want to consider how changes to environmental settings might affect market expectations and New Zealand's international climate commitments.

### New Zealand First

Trade and exports

NZ First emphasises the importance of primary industries to the national economy and rural employment.

Its published statements highlight:

- Supporting agriculture, forestry, fishing, aquaculture, mining and wool.
- Using coalition negotiations to secure regional investment.
- Supporting regional infrastructure, including ports, flood protection, water storage and irrigation.
- Returning more economic benefits to the regions. [Election 2026: What Parties Promise the Primary Sector](https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-general-news/election-2026-party-policies-primary-sector-farmers)

Farm operating costs and environment

Its primary-sector campaign statements emphasise:

- Practical policies that improve rural profitability.
- Regional infrastructure investment.
- Support for industries that contribute to merchandise exports.
- Greater recognition of rural communities in government decisions.

NZ First has not provided the same level of detailed, publicly documented new export-market commitments in the material reviewed as National has.

What this could mean for your farm: Its regional infrastructure emphasis is relevant if freight costs, road access, water storage or distance from services are significant operating issues.

### Opportunity Party (TOP)

Trade and exports

Opportunity's primary-sector response emphasises innovation, research and development, rather than a specific programme of new free-trade agreements.

Its proposals include:

- Greater investment in agricultural science and research.
- Support for regional polytechnics and technology incubators.
- A 25% tax credit on new business investment, including farm technology.
- A long-term infrastructure strategy covering roads, bridges and power generation. [Election 2026: What Parties Promise the Primary Sector](https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-general-news/election-2026-party-policies-primary-sector-farmers)

What this could mean for your farm: Its emphasis is on improving productivity and supporting innovation. You would need to examine the details and eligibility of its proposed investment incentives.

### Green Party and Te Pāti Māori

I would be cautious about assigning detailed 2026 agricultural export commitments to either party without a specific current policy document.

The available election material identifies different approaches to environmental management, climate policy and freshwater governance, but the rural-sector survey reported that the Greens had not responded by its publication deadline. [Election 2026: What Parties Promise the Primary Sector](https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-general-news/election-2026-party-policies-primary-sector-farmers)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/environment)

For both parties, I would investigate:

- Whether agricultural emissions pricing would be introduced or expanded.
- How freshwater and biodiversity requirements would affect farming operations.
- Their approach to international trade agreements and environmental conditions attached to exports.
- Their support for Māori-owned farming and primary-sector businesses.

## 2. Side-by-side comparison

| Issue | National | Labour | ACT | NZ First | Opportunity |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| New trade agreements | Explicit expansion programme | International relationships | Less detail in farming plan | Primary-sector support | Less detail |
| Export growth target | Double exports by 2034 | No equivalent target identified | No equivalent target identified | No equivalent target identified | No equivalent target identified |
| Agricultural ETS | Agriculture excluded | Emissions-pricing reform | Permanently excluded | Examine detailed policy | Examine detailed policy |
| Farm compliance | Simplification | More emissions accountability | Major deregulation | Practical regional focus | Innovation and investment |
| Water infrastructure | $300m concessional loans | No comparable commitment identified | Easier consenting | Regional infrastructure emphasis | Long-term infrastructure |
| Rural business investment | Investment incentives | Small-business support | Lower regulatory costs | Regional development | 25% investment tax credit |

This table reflects the published commitments located, not a claim that parties have no other policies.

## 3. What matters most for protecting agricultural exports?

There are several issues worth looking beyond the headline trade announcements for.

### A. Tariffs and trade agreements

New Zealand's exporters need competitive access to major markets, particularly:

- China – dairy, meat, horticulture and forestry.
- Australia – agricultural products and regional supply chains.
- India – a major potential growth market for dairy, meat and horticulture.
- European Union – premium food markets and higher-value products.
- United Kingdom and Gulf countries – meat, dairy and other food exports.

National is explicitly prioritising new agreements and export growth. Its India agreement and arrangements with the UAE and Gulf states are part of that strategy. [Election 2026: What Parties Promise the Primary Sector](https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-general-news/election-2026-party-policies-primary-sector-farmers)[New Zealand's Next Billion Customers](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/new-trade)

### B. Non-tariff trade barriers

Tariffs aren't the only obstacle. Farmers can face:

- Different overseas animal-health requirements.
- Restrictions on meat and dairy imports.
- Food safety and traceability requirements.
- Sustainability and carbon reporting requirements.
- Delays in export approvals and product certification.

The New Zealand red meat industry's 2026 election manifesto specifically identifies non-tariff barriers, protectionism and the need to maintain existing market access as priorities. It also calls for better international recognition of New Zealand's regulatory systems. [New Zealand’s red meat sector:](https://beeflambnz.com/sites/default/files/2026-04/election-manifesto-2026.pdf)

This is important because an exporter can have a free-trade agreement and still struggle to get products into a market.

### C. New Zealand's environmental reputation

International buyers increasingly assess the environmental and production credentials of food.

There is a genuine policy question here:

- How much environmental compliance should farmers carry?
- How can New Zealand maintain its reputation for high-quality, sustainable food?
- How can environmental improvements be recognised in export prices?
- How can regulations avoid imposing costs that overseas competitors do not face?

Different parties have different answers. National and ACT emphasise reducing domestic compliance costs, while Labour places more emphasis on emissions accountability.

## 4. Rural services and infrastructure: an important additional consideration

For a farm well outside a main centre, national economic growth figures may not tell the whole story.

I would also compare party commitments on these practical matters:

| Area | What to investigate |
| --- | --- |
| Roads | Rural road maintenance, bridges, flood recovery and heavy-vehicle access |
| Freight | Access to ports, rail and reliable transport routes |
| Telecommunications | Rural broadband and mobile coverage |
| Healthcare | Rural GP access, emergency services and ambulance response |
| Workforce | Seasonal worker availability, immigration and vocational training |
| Water | Irrigation, storage, flood protection and drought resilience |
| Biosecurity | Border protection, pest surveillance and rapid disease response |
| Electricity | Reliable rural supply and affordable energy for farm operations |

Some of these issues have direct party commitments. For example, ACT proposes expanded rural healthcare access through pharmacies and additional rural police patrols. National has proposed water-storage financing, while NZ First emphasises regional infrastructure investment. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again)[Securing water and fertiliser to back NZ farmers](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/securing-water-and-fertiliser)[Election 2026: What Parties Promise the Primary Sector](https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-general-news/election-2026-party-policies-primary-sector-farmers)

## 5. Questions I would put to candidates before voting

I would use these questions at local candidate meetings or when contacting party representatives.

1. What specific new export markets will you pursue for New Zealand agricultural products over the next three years?
2. How will you protect existing access to China, the EU and other major markets?
3. What will you do when overseas countries introduce new tariffs or non-tariff restrictions?
4. Will you ensure that environmental requirements imposed on New Zealand farmers are recognised by overseas customers?
5. What is your policy on agricultural emissions pricing, and what will it cost an average commercial farm?
6. How will you reduce the cost of fertiliser, fuel, electricity and agricultural inputs?
7. What funding will be available for rural roads, bridges, telecommunications and water infrastructure?
8. How will you ensure rural communities retain access to healthcare and emergency services?

## 6. Useful independent sources before making your decision

These are worth reading alongside party manifestos:

- [Rural News – Election 2026: What parties promise the primary sector](https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-general-news/election-2026-party-policies-primary-sector-farmers?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Industry-focused questions and party responses.
- [Beef + Lamb New Zealand – 2026 election manifesto](https://beeflambnz.com/sites/default/files/2026-04/election-manifesto-2026.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Particularly useful for trade access and export barriers.
- [Policy.nz – 2026 party policy comparisons](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Independent policy comparison.
- [Know Your Vote – 2026 election policy tracker](https://knowyourvote.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Tracks published party commitments.
- [National – New Zealand's Next Billion Customers](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/new-trade?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
- [ACT – Make Farming Fun Again](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

## My suggested way to assess the policies

Rather than looking only at which party promises the most export growth, I would assess each party against four separate measures:

1. Export security

Will the party actively protect existing markets and negotiate new ones?

2. Farm profitability

What will its policies mean for fuel, fertiliser, labour, compliance and investment costs?

3. Environmental obligations

Are the rules affordable, predictable and compatible with overseas customer requirements?

4. Rural living and infrastructure

Will roads, telecommunications, healthcare and emergency services be adequately supported outside the main centres?

One important qualification: Party policies are promises, not guaranteed outcomes. Coalition agreements, government budgets, international negotiations and changes in global markets can all affect what is ultimately delivered.

The key distinction in this election is that National has published a particularly explicit export-growth and trade-negotiation programme, ACT has published particularly detailed proposals for reducing farm regulation and emissions costs, Labour emphasises emissions accountability and domestic business conditions, while NZ First and Opportunity place considerable emphasis on regional development and investment.

Those are differences in policy emphasis, rather than a judgement about which party would deliver the best result.

I can also put together a more detailed farm-business comparison, looking at the likely implications of each party's policies for a typical New Zealand sheep and beef, dairy or cropping operation, including fuel, fertiliser, emissions, freshwater rules and rural infrastructure.

## Gemini

Answer ID: 14b2d27e-24b8-44ea-8c95-0b1a9db7991f

As a farming household living well outside a main centre, weighing your operating costs, environmental rules, and export competitiveness is central to how the major and minor parties are positioning themselves for the **2026 New Zealand general election**. 

While formal "trade access" primarily revolves around government-to-government free trade agreements (FTAs) and international market negotiations, the domestic debate heavily links export protection to **on-farm compliance costs, environmental regulations, and productivity tools**. 

The key approaches from the major political blocs regarding trade access, agricultural exports, and the operational pressures tied to them include:

---

### 1. National and ACT (Centre-Right / Coalition Alignment)
Their overarching theme is lowering compliance costs, removing regulatory roadblocks, and boosting productivity to ensure export competitiveness.
* **Trade & Export Focus:** Emphasize expanding high-value market access, leveraging existing and new FTAs (such as recent milestones with India), and backing export-driven sectors like dairy, meat, horticulture, and arable.
* **Environmental & Land Rules:** Focus heavily on regulatory relief. National has pursued adjustments to the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land to offer more flexibility for farming operations, while ACT advocates stripping back rules that focus on process rather than actual environmental risk.
* **Costs & Emissions:** Oppose new taxes (such as capital gains or wealth taxes) to protect farm equity. ACT specifically advocates repealing the Zero Carbon Act, benchmarking emissions settings against key trading partners, and strongly opposing a standalone agricultural emissions pricing mechanism to protect profit margins.

### 2. Labour (Centre-Left)
Labour frames export protection around balancing economic productivity with environmental stewardship, aiming to maintain the "clean, green" brand that underpins premium export returns.
* **Trade & Export Focus:** Support ongoing trade diversification and upholding international trade obligations. They acknowledge the vulnerability of specialized sectors (like arable and horticulture) and have proposed mechanisms like sector-specific forums to address farm-gate returns and supply chain bottlenecks.
* **Environmental & Compliance:** Maintain that New Zealand can have both a robust export sector and clean freshwater, supporting environmental bottom lines that cannot be overridden solely by development. 
* **Inputs & Productivity:** Acknowledge systemic delays in approving newer, safer agrichemicals (often lagging years behind other nations) and express support for legislative updates (like the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill) to speed up access to modern tools that protect export crops. However, they support policies like a capital gains tax (with family farms generally exempted) and stricter environmental baselines.

### 3. New Zealand First
Positioned as a voice for regional and rural New Zealand, their focus is heavily infrastructure- and supply-chain-oriented.
* **Trade & Domestic Linkages:** Emphasize that export protection starts with reliable domestic infrastructure—securing reliable water supplies, regional roading and rail networks, and robust freight routes to ports.
* **Inputs & Labour:** Focus on ensuring farmers and growers have practical access to seasonal and skilled labor, alongside sensible settings for crop protection, domestic energy security, and manufacturing inputs to prevent rural communities from bearing disproportionate cost burdens.

### 4. Green Party and Te Pāti Māori (Left / Progressive Bloc)
Their platforms view export protection through the lens of long-term climate resilience, sustainability, and ecological branding.
* **Trade & Sustainability:** Strongly tie export value to strict environmental credentials, arguing that international markets increasingly demand verified low-carbon and regenerative production.
* **Environmental Obligations:** Support rigorous environmental protections, financial and research support for transitioning to regenerative farming practices, and mechanisms to price agricultural emissions to meet international climate commitments. They also propose tax structures targeting large-scale corporate assets or wealth (though typically carving out family farms from specific inheritance/gift tax measures).

---

### Key Considerations for Your Vote
When weighing your options from a rural vantage point, the choice generally forces a trade-off between:
1. **Cost-cutting and regulatory relief** (favored by the right), which offers immediate relief to seasonal overdrafts, compliance paperwork, and operational overhead, versus...
2. **Environmental safeguarding and market narrative protection** (favored by the left/centre-left), which seeks to protect New Zealand's international "clean" export branding and long-term climate resilience, balanced against higher regulatory compliance.

Are there specific cost pressures (such as transport infrastructure, local council freshwater rules, or labour availability) that are weighing most heavily on your farm operation right now?

## Google AI Mode

Answer ID: 64300338-f3c5-4765-ab42-c54d97a17654

As you weigh your options for the 2026 general election from a remote rural property, the intersection of international trade, on-farm operating costs, and environmental compliance is a central theme in party manifestos. New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is hovering around record export numbers (nearing $65 billion), but primary producers continue to grapple with high input costs, global market volatility, and regulatory pressure.

Major political parties approach trade access, export protection, and the associated operational and environmental compliance through distinct lenses:

**1\. National Party**

 * **Trade & Market Access:** National emphasizes expanding and leveraging recent trade milestones—such as agreements with the UAE, the Gulf states, and the India FTA—with an overarching goal to double the value of New Zealand’s exports by 2034.

 * **Operating Costs & Compliance:** National highlights its work to "get Wellington out of farming" by replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA), removing farming from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) structures of the past, and slashing regulatory red tape. Their 2026 platform introduces new standards designed to remove consent requirements for various routine farming activities, aiming to cut bureaucratic costs.

 * **Local Services & Resilience:** They propose ongoing funding for catchment groups ($40.5 million over four years), support for rural mental health and wellbeing funds (Farmstrong, Rural Support Trusts), and simplified consents for on-farm water storage to hedge against seasonal dry spells.

**2\. ACT Party**

 * **Trade & Export Drivers:** ACT argues that the most effective way to protect export competitiveness is aggressively cutting domestic costs and regulation rather than relying on industry-specific subsidies.

 * **Operating Costs & Compliance:** ACT focuses heavily on fiscal restraint in Wellington to drive down national inflation and interest rates, which directly impacts seasonal farm overdrafts and borrowing. They emphasize regulatory relief via HSNO (Hazardous Substances and New Organisms) amendments to fast-track farmer access to crucial pest, disease, and crop protection chemistry.

 * **Local Services:** Their core pitch to remote operators is reducing compliance overhead and rolling back taxes to ease the cashflow squeeze on-farm.

**3\. New Zealand First**

 * **Trade & Sector Support:** NZ First frames primary production—including agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fishing, and aquaculture—as foundational to national economic resilience (deriving over 80% of merchandise exports). They advocate for strong, dedicated ministerial focus on specific primary sub-sectors (such as arable or wool).

 * **Operating Costs & Compliance:** They lean into regional advocacy, protecting traditional primary and extractive industries from overly restrictive regulatory frameworks, and aligning R&D support through dedicated bioeconomy and science initiatives.

 * **Local Services:** NZ First prioritizes regional infrastructure resilience, maintaining the viability of local rural communities, and ensuring that domestic food security is treated as a strategic national asset.

**4\. Labour Party & Other Parties (Green / Opportunity)**

 * **Trade & Sustainability:** Labour and other progressive/ centrist groups generally tie long-term export protection directly to maintaining strong environmental credentials and sustainable "clean green" brand integrity overseas, arguing that international high-value markets increasingly demand verifiable climate and water standards.

 * **Operating Costs & Infrastructure:** Rather than sweeping deregulation, alternative approaches often favor broad structural economic shifts—such as renewable energy transitions to lower long-term diesel/fuel reliance, regional infrastructure investment to cut freight costs, and backing targeted innovation for low-emission farm inputs.

* * *

You can review complete, sector-specific party question responses and ongoing updates ahead of the election via the Rural News Group or check individual party manifestos directly on the National Party News platform.

## AI Overviews

Answer ID: 3ca371a3-e0a5-4a71-bdf9-ecc87a2f523b

For the **2026 New Zealand general election** , political parties offer starkly different approaches to trade access and protecting agricultural exports. **The National Party and ACT focus on expanding free trade markets and cutting on-farm regulations** to lower production costs. **The Labour Party prioritizes its "Trade for All" progressive framework** , which links trade access to high environmental and labor standards. Meanwhile, **the Green Party seeks strict alignment on animal welfare for imports** , and **New Zealand First focuses on domestic value-added dairy manufacturing and economic sovereignty**.

The following table outlines how each major party intends to manage export protection, environmental rules, and operating costs:

Political Party| Trade Access & Export Protection| Environmental Obligations & Emissions| Operating Costs & Regulatory Reform
---|---|---|---
**National Party**| • Focuses on an active free trade agenda to open new markets.
• Aims to double export value by 2034.| • Keeps agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
• Restricts converting productive farmland to forestry for carbon credits.| • Introducing 19 nationwide standards to bypass local council approvals.
• Slashes red tape to lower compliance overhead.
**Labour Party**| • Reinstating the Trade for All agenda prioritizing climate, gender, and indigenous rights.
• Protects exports via welfare chapters in EU/UK trade deals.| • Dropped long-standing plans to price agricultural emissions.
• Committing to an urgent ETS review to limit carbon forestry incentives.| • Focuses on regional vocational training to secure agricultural staff.
• Investing in rural health initiatives like GP clinics and loan schemes.
**ACT New Zealand**| • Opposes international climate treaties that penalize domestic food producers over foreign rivals.| • Repealing the Zero Carbon Act and abolishing the Climate Change Commission.
• Adjusting the ETS to remove the artificial carbon price floor.| • Fast-tracking biochemical approvals under HSNO Act reforms.
• Establishing 10 new permitted activities to remove consent rules.
**New Zealand First**| • Introducing a "Use It or Lose It" dairy policy to boost value-added manufacturing.
• Opposes international rules that harm domestic economic sovereignty.| • Campaigning to completely withdraw New Zealand from the Paris Climate Accord.
• Opposes agricultural emissions pricing unless global trading partners match it.| • Reforming regional immigration rules to fix seasonal worker shortages.
• Replacing the RMA to give farmers greater input over local freshwater rules.
**Green Party**| • Ensuring imported food meets identical strict domestic animal welfare criteria.| • Demanding explicit pricing structures on all agricultural emissions.
• Pushing for tighter freshwater protections and lower synthetic nitrogen caps.| • Promoting local processing, local distribution, and independent wholesale food operations.

Key Impacts for Rural and Remote Farmers

 * * **Operating Costs:** ACT and National emphasize tackling on-farm inflation by directly slashing council bureaucracies, allowing you to build tracks, extract gravel, or build water storage without consent. Labour shifts the focus to subsidizing rural services, guaranteeing graduate placement for rural health professionals, and easing access to regional apprenticeships.

 * **Environmental Compliance:** For the first time in two decades, Labour is aligning with the center-right by keeping agricultural emissions out of immediate pricing structures, though they plan to reform how forestry offsets interact with farmland. The Green Party remains the only major voice demanding full integration of farm emissions into a pricing mechanism.

 * **Export Strategy:** A core divide sits between those who believe New Zealand protects its exports by complying with overseas climate/environmental frameworks (Labour and Greens) versus those who argue that lowering compliance burdens at home is the best way to keep exports globally competitive (National, ACT, and NZ First).

 *

If you want to look closer at a specific issue, tell me:

 * Which **primary sector** you operate in (e.g., dairy, arable, sheep and beef, or horticulture)?
 * Which **local services** (e.g., healthcare access, roading infrastructure, or regional connectivity) matter most to your farm?

I can provide the specific policy breakdowns for those choices.