# Student renting and working part time

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 8 · Voter situations · S02

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8#situations)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 5 |
| answers collected | 20 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked nationally | NZ |

## What this voter asked

### Question 6: Education and childcare

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on student allowances, living-cost support and student loans?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/questions/62c87be8-d98e-4444-b59c-377a439af969.md)

### Question 7: Housing

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties are offering meaningful changes for renters, and how would their plans affect rent costs, healthy homes and tenancy security?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/questions/7d43b22a-ce3a-4570-a748-4b81cf42e2c7.md)

### Question 8: Cost of living

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would parties do about food and transport costs for someone studying on a tight budget?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/questions/2b9cc3dc-7fba-455a-8e27-473da16861f3.md)

### Question 9: Jobs and unemployment

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties proposing about graduate jobs and the rights of people doing part-time work?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/questions/7d45fdca-db85-4ac1-87da-5fa7419c0ae6.md)

### Question 10: Mental health and addiction

I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What differences are there in parties' plans for affordable mental health support for students?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/questions/3a6ed457-c3ed-4dd7-94e4-f12d93aebed5.md)

## Which parties appeared in the answers

The figures count names in the 20 answers recorded for this situation. Naming a party does not mean recommending it.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 20 | 20 |
| Labour | 20 | 20 |
| Greens | 20 | 20 |
| ACT | 18 | 20 |
| NZ First | 11 | 20 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 17 | 20 |
| TOP | 7 | 20 |

## Party names across this voter’s topics

Compare the parties named in answers about this voter’s main concerns. The table compares 20 answers from each edition.

The coloured bars show whether statements about a party were positive, neutral, negative or mixed. Select a figure to read the extracts.

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Education and childcare | National | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Education and childcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Education and childcare | ACT | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | TOP | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Housing | National | 4 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Housing | Labour | 4 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| Housing | Greens | 4 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing | ACT | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| Housing | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Housing | Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Housing | TOP | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | National | 4 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Labour | 4 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Greens | 4 | 4 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | ACT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Cost of living | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | TOP | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jobs and unemployment | National | 4 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Labour | 4 | 4 | 10 | 32 | 2 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Greens | 4 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 2 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | ACT | 4 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | NZ First | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | TOP | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mental health and addiction | National | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 1 |
| Mental health and addiction | Labour | 4 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Mental health and addiction | Greens | 4 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Mental health and addiction | ACT | 4 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Mental health and addiction | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Mental health and addiction | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| Mental health and addiction | TOP | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 |

## How Gemini’s answer changed

The student answer added Te Pāti Māori, left out ACT and organised the comparison around weekly support and debt after graduation. It also added more detail about Labour’s proposal to write off small loan balances.

The Greens and Te Pāti Māori were grouped together, making it harder to tell which party proposed the exact debt changes described. We could not resolve that attribution in the selected factual check.

Gemini: “* **Student Loans:** Proposes writing off the **living-cost component of all student loans**, and working towards full student loan write-offs for graduates who live and work in Aotearoa for five years.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/7/questions/62c87be8-d98e-4444-b59c-377a439af969.md) · Answer ID: bbfb2f6d-ef3b-441b-bbbc-dfe5212e204c

Gemini: “* **Te Pāti Māori / Greens (and minor progressive alignments):** Advocate for more structural changes, such as working towards full student loan write-offs for those who live and work in Aotearoa for a sustained period (e.g., 5 years) or forgiving student loan interest for periods spent overseas.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/questions/62c87be8-d98e-4444-b59c-377a439af969.md) · Answer ID: 46fa3ff3-a34e-47e9-a2d5-443d95d96e73

## Websites cited in these answers

Compare the websites cited in answers for this voter situation. Choose a topic to see its sources.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| greens.org.nz | 5 |
| labour.org.nz | 5 |
| national.org.nz | 5 |
| act.org.nz | 3 |
| knowyourvote.nz | 2 |
| salient.org.nz | 2 |
| action.greens.org.nz | 1 |
| consumer.org.nz | 1 |
| employment.govt.nz | 1 |
| maori.party | 1 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz | 3 |
| national.org.nz | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |
| fullstackproperty.co.nz | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |
| mentalhealth.org.nz | 1 |
| nzmj.org.nz | 1 |
| policy.nz | 1 |
| thedlist.co.nz | 1 |
| union.org.nz | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| policy.nz | 4 |
| scoop.co.nz | 2 |
| act.org.nz | 1 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| interest.co.nz | 1 |
| kaitiaki.org.nz | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |
| nzbrands.ai | 1 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 1 |
| teu.ac.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| facebook.com | 4 |
| ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| policy.nz | 3 |
| rnz.co.nz | 3 |
| whichparty.nz | 3 |
| kaitiaki.org.nz | 2 |
| national.org.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| teu.ac.nz | 2 |

Each website counts once per answer. The comparison covers 20 answers from each edition; 20 of this edition’s answers included citations. Other includes websites we have not yet classified.

[Previous: Apprentice voting for the first time](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/voters/s01)

[Next: Renter with variable work hours](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/voters/s03)