Party Policies Compared

Passed the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024, which has enabled roughly 55,000 new homes across 44 approved projects. In December 2025 introduced the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill to replace the RMA entirely, forcing councils to zone for 30 years of housing demand upfront (new system expected live by 2029). Budget 2026 added a Flexible Fund for up to 770 social/affordable homes and a $400 million council "Incentives for Growth" fund through 2029/30.

Would scrap the government's emergency-housing target and reverse its Income-Related Rent Subsidy and Accommodation Supplement changes, arguing they effectively subsidise landlords. Continues to oppose Kāinga Ora asset sales and sits alongside Labour's 28% capital gains tax on investment property (announced 28 October 2025), earmarked mainly to fund free GP visits rather than housing directly.

Launched "A Home for Everybody" on 26 March 2026: a Renters' Rights Bill capping rent increases at 2% a year, ending no-cause evictions, and introducing a rental Warrant of Fitness. Also pledges tens of thousands of new public homes, reversing restored landlord interest deductibility, and a "Home For Life" rent-to-buy scheme (10,000 homes over 10 years), funded by the party's wealth tax.

Wants to repeal the RMA outright and replace it with a property-rights-based Urban Development Act plus a narrower Environmental Protection Act — going further than the coalition's own Planning Bill, which ACT has publicly criticised as insufficient to fix the housing crisis. Remains a governing partner backing that reform through Parliament in the meantime.

Standing policy calls for a non-political Housing Commission and a Ministry for Infrastructure to unlock land for housing long-term, plus a dedicated seniors' housing plan given rising numbers of older renters. No freshly dated 2025–2026 announcement was found on this topic — this reflects the party's ongoing position rather than new campaign material.

"Whānau Build" policy commits half of all new social housing to Māori whānau, who make up roughly half the social-housing waitlist, removes legal barriers to building on papakāinga land, and proposes a 2% tax on homes left vacant 3+ months a year. Also wants to stop freehold land sales to offshore buyers.

In November 2025 amended the Climate Change Response Act so ETS settings only need to align with NZ's domestic 2050 net-zero law rather than its international Paris pledge, moved ETS reviews from annual to biennial, and pushed the Carbon Neutral Government Programme deadline from 2025 out to 2050. Parliament also passed an adjusted, more lenient biogenic methane target in December 2025.

Opposes the coalition's removal of the offshore oil and gas exploration ban and has pledged to reinstate it, alongside a 100% renewable electricity target by 2030, a no-upfront-cost residential solar scheme, and phasing out coal-fired boilers. In February 2026 signalled it would work more closely with the Greens on climate policy during the campaign and in any future government.

Commits to legally ending fossil fuel use and production by no later than 2035, banning new baseload fossil-fuel electricity generation so all new supply is renewable, and phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser alongside reduced livestock stocking rates — explicitly aligned to a 1.5°C target.

Its "Better Climate Deal" platform (detailed further 10 June 2026) proposes managing biogenic methane to a "no additional warming" standard rather than net-zero, keeping agriculture out of the ETS entirely, capping emissions in line with trading partners' actual reductions, and renegotiating — or potentially leaving — the Paris Agreement if a revised methane target isn't accepted.

Leader Winston Peters has campaigned since Fieldays (June 2026) for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement entirely, calling it something the country "can't afford" given NZ's 0.17% share of global emissions, and opposes the Climate Change Commission's advisory role in favour of targets set directly by elected politicians — a position that goes further than current coalition government policy.

Opposes seabed mining and deep-sea oil and gas exploration, and frames climate action around protecting whenua and moana and investing in resilience for the most at-risk communities under a Te Tiriti lens. Has criticised government emissions budgets as too weak, though climate is not a headline plank of its 2026 campaign, which foregrounds health, housing and education.

Budget 2026 (28 May) added over $5.8 billion in new health operating funding across the forecast period, including a $1.37 billion annual uplift for frontline cost pressures, restored health targets with quarterly public reporting, expanded cancer-medicine funding, and free continuous glucose monitors for under-18s with type-1 diabetes. The Māori Health Authority, abolished in 2024, has not been reinstated and no Māori-specific funding stream has replaced it.

Centrepiece is a "Medicard" offering three free GP visits a year for everyone, free prescriptions from 1 July 2027, free maternity scans from July 2028 and free cervical screening, funded by Labour's proposed capital gains tax. Has also stood by an earlier pledge to reinstate a Māori Health Authority, though has not freshly restated it with 2026-specific detail.

Campaigns for a fully funded public health system with better pay and conditions for health workers, free GP visits and prescriptions, and a free universal dental service. Broader fiscal policy would lift government revenue and spending specifically to fund universal health, education and social services rather than private alternatives.

Wants Pharmac and Medsafe reform — a published medicines strategy, funding tied to productivity impact, and one-week approval for drugs already cleared by trusted overseas regulators — plus pharmacists taking on more primary care (skin checks, blood tests, managing long-term medication) to ease GP pressure. Backed abolishing the Māori Health Authority and wants further removal of ethnicity-based provisions from health legislation.

2026 focus is dominated by vaccine-mandate accountability — a select-committee inquiry into alleged Covid-vaccination injuries, compensation, and criticism of prior government advice on myocarditis risk in under-18s — alongside opposition to Health and Safety reform and renewed questioning of NZ's funding of the World Health Organization. Previously secured repeal of the Therapeutic Products Act as a coalition condition.

Would rebuild a Māori-led health authority to replace the disestablished Te Aka Whai Ora, shift the system toward prevention rather than crisis response, and ensure services are culturally safe, accessible and accountable to whānau-centred models of wellbeing.

Budget 2026 (28 May) confirmed a return to OBEGALx surplus in 2028/29 — around two years later than earlier forecasts — while cutting core Crown headcount from roughly 63,700 toward a 55,000 FTE target by 2029, alongside further departmental operating cuts. The May 2024 income tax bracket adjustments remain in place, but Budget 2026 introduced no further broad income tax cuts, instead raising a small new levy on banks and insurers. Continues to support pro-business regulatory reform and fiscal responsibility.

Confirmed a specific capital gains tax policy on 28 October 2025: a flat 28% on gains from residential-investment and commercial property (from 1 July 2027), exempting the family home, farms, KiwiSaver, shares, business assets and inheritances. The roughly $700 million a year raised is earmarked to fund three free GP visits a year for every New Zealander — described by Labour as the only tax policy it will campaign on in 2026. Also proposes a "NZ Future Fund" directing Crown-asset dividends into New Zealand businesses and jobs.

The Greens' 21 June 2026 tax plan raises the wealth tax threshold from $2 million to $10 million in net assets (rate unchanged at 2.5%), now projected to raise about $3.8–4.1 billion a year — a deliberate scale-back from earlier, larger estimates. Adds a tax-free income threshold up to about $10,000 and a 45% top rate, plus a 33% inheritance tax above $1 million, a 33% corporate tax rate for large companies, a bank-liability levy and a tax on offshore big-tech profits — a roughly $32 billion package in total, branded as taxing 'the cost of greed.'

Proposes a two-rate income tax system — 17.5% on income under $70,000 and 28% above it — aligning personal, trust and company tax rates, rather than a single flat rate for all earners. As a party of government since late 2023, ACT also points to savings already delivered, including roughly $7.5 billion from "mini-Budget" cuts and further savings from spending reviews and pay-equity changes. Continues to support a smaller public sector, deregulation and lower overall spending.

Supports NZ manufacturing and domestic industry — wants government to "buy NZ made." Opposes asset sales of strategic infrastructure, including Kiwibank and Air New Zealand, backed by a proposed "National Interest Test." Wants to protect superannuation and not raise the eligibility age — reaffirmed as a top priority in 2026. Supports regional economic development spending.

Advocates a tiered wealth tax (2% over $2 million, 4% over $5 million, 8% over $10 million in net assets, projected to raise about $23 billion), new income tax brackets from 0% up to 48% on income over $300,000, restoring the company tax rate to 33%, a capital gains tax on property excluding the family home, and removing GST from food. Committed in November 2025 to an immediate rise in the minimum wage to $25 an hour with automatic annual increases. Wants Māori economic development backed by Treaty rights and asset returns.

As part of the National–NZ First coalition agreement, Cabinet is rewriting Treaty of Waitangi references across roughly 23 pieces of legislation — revealed 20 April 2026 — replacing the stronger "give effect to" duty with the weaker "take into account" standard. This follows the defeat of ACT's separate Treaty Principles Bill in April 2025 (which National only supported to select committee), and Luxon also faces pressure over a possible referendum on the Māori electoral seats.

Hipkins maintains Māori did not cede sovereignty in 1840 and is open to further checks ensuring legislation honours the Treaty, but has explicitly ruled out supporting Te Pāti Māori's proposed Te Tiriti commissioner with veto power over Parliament. Labour has otherwise been relatively quiet on detailed Treaty/constitutional policy through 2025–2026, prioritising cost-of-living, housing and health instead.

Treats Te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga as founding constitutional documents, affirms the Māori-language text as authoritative, and wants a fully resourced Waitangi Tribunal with binding decision-making power. Its "Hoki Whenua Mai" policy would stop future Public Works Act land takings and create a path to return previously taken whenua Māori, and in 2026 it has campaigned against the government's Treaty-clause rewrite alongside Labour and Te Pāti Māori.

Its Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to legally redefine Treaty principles subject to referendum, was voted down at second reading on 10 April 2025 with every other party opposed. Leader David Seymour says he remains committed to the underlying goal of equal legal rights and, as of late 2025, signalled ACT would pursue it through a different legislative vehicle in the 2026 campaign rather than reintroducing the same bill.

Opposes co-governance outright — Peters' March 2026 State of the Nation speech reiterated "one people, one law, one flag" — and is campaigning on a referendum to abolish the dedicated Māori electorates. Secured restoration of local referendums on Māori wards via the coalition agreement and is a co-driver, with National, of the 2026 Treaty-clause legislative rewrite.

Platform, "Mana Motuhake," centres on Te Tiriti-based constitutional transformation and strengthened Māori political and governance structures, arguing that without constitutional change any gains can be undone by the next government. For 2026 is contesting all seven Māori electorates and has signalled reversing the government's Treaty-clause changes would be a bottom line in any coalition talks.

Under Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, introduced the multi-entry "Parent Boost" visa (opened 29 Sept 2025) letting migrants' parents stay 5–10 years, the Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill (18 March 2026) extending deportation liability to 20 years for residence-class visa holders with serious convictions, and Skilled Migrant Category changes from 24 August 2026 simplifying wage settings. Frames its approach as "quality over quantity" — prioritising skilled migrants while tightening compliance.

Has not published a detailed, finalised immigration policy as of mid-2026. In May 2026 Hipkins accused Luxon of "embracing the anti-migrant rhetoric" of his coalition partners, arguing NZ shouldn't have to choose between migration and business viability, and favours balancing skills-based migration with stronger enforcement against migrant-worker exploitation.

Standing policy calls for a humane, Tiriti-based system: progressively raising the refugee quota toward 5,000, a residency pathway for long-term temporary migrants, equal pay and conditions for migrant workers, and a proposed "Pacific Passport" for climate-displaced Pacific peoples.

Unveiled a six-point immigration toughening plan on 3 May 2026: English-language requirements for all work-visa holders (seasonal workers exempt), a $6-per-day infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visas, a five-year welfare stand-down for new residents, annual review of skill-shortage visa categories, extended deportation powers, and a dedicated overstayer enforcement unit including gig-platform visa checks.

Pushes to substantially cut net migration until infrastructure catches up. Signature 2026 policy, first announced September 2025, is a mandatory "Kiwi values statement" new migrants must sign committing to democracy, free speech and other stated NZ values, and Peters has accused National of "covertly" loosening settings via the India free-trade agreement.

Frames immigration through Te Tiriti o Waitangi, arguing Māori should have genuine partnership input into population-growth decisions so migration doesn't further push Māori out of housing and economic participation. No standalone, dated immigration policy document is published.

Structured literacy has been mandatory in all state primary schools since Term 1 2025. In 2026 confirmed NCEA Level 1 will be abolished in favour of a new Year 11 Foundational Award, with new Year 12/13 qualifications and A–E grading rolling out from 2028. The Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill, passed 24 June 2026, also gives charter schools 20-year contracts and restructures the Teaching Council under tighter ministerial control.

Pledged in April 2026 to reinstate school boards' Treaty obligations and reverse the coalition's curriculum and testing changes. Its most concrete 2026 policy, announced 28 June, expands Apprenticeship Boost back to two years from 2028, adds new eligible trades, and offers a $1,000 toolkit grant for apprentices — projected to grow beneficiaries from 9,000 to 27,000 by 2030/31.

Opposes the government's NCEA replacement as a step backward, and has pledged to reinstate fees-free tertiary education after the government confirmed on 9 May 2026 that the scheme ends after 2026 enrolments. Also proposes capping early-childhood fees at $10 a day on top of existing free hours, and a $315 million funding boost for inclusive education.

Driving force behind charter (partnership) schools, now numbering 14 after three more opened Term 1 2026, and secured the 20-year charter contracts and tighter ministerial control of the Teaching Council in the June 2026 reform bill. Future priorities include per-student "Student Education Accounts," published school league tables, and performance-based teacher pay.

Takes credit within the coalition for scrapping gender-inclusive Relationships and Sexuality Education guidelines and ending puberty blockers for minors. Its most significant 2026 move was pushing to end the fees-free university scheme — confirmed 9 May 2026 — with funding redirected toward trades and vocational training instead.

Policy rests on properly resourcing kaupapa Māori education, including a proposed independent Māori Standards Authority to oversee te reo funding and cultural-competency standards, and embedding mātauranga Māori and fairly paid Māori cultural leadership roles across the mainstream system.