Centre-right · Government
Largest party in the incumbent government and the principal centre-right party. This profile connects current electoral standing with the same 20-question policy matrix used by the NZ party-match tool.
Current average 30.3% · 43 estimated seats
Current electoral position
Counts describe the propositions exactly as worded in the quiz. They are not measures of whether a policy is left, right, good or bad.
Positive values indicate greater support for the propositions as worded; negative values indicate opposition. Read the issue list below for meaning and nuance.
Policy evidence
Each classification uses the same five-point scale as the quiz. Open the source and question context before treating a label as definitive.
Tax & economy
A wealth tax charges a small annual percentage on net assets above a high threshold. It differs from income tax and from a capital-gains tax, which applies when an asset is sold.
A capital-gains tax applies to the increase in an asset’s value when it is sold. Proposals can exempt the family home and differ over rate, start date and which assets are covered.
A land-value tax is charged on the unimproved value of land rather than buildings or income. The design can include exemptions, deferrals and offsets against other taxes.
Health & living costs
Direct public construction expands the stock of homes rented below market rates. Alternatives include funding community providers, accommodation support or changing planning rules to encourage private supply.
Free visits remove the patient fee but require public funding and enough clinical capacity. A universal entitlement can also be replaced by targeted subsidies for groups with greater need.
NZ Super is a near-universal public pension. Population ageing raises its fiscal cost, while life expectancy and ability to work longer differ significantly between occupations and communities.
Working-age benefits can include obligations such as attending appointments or seeking suitable work. Sanctions reduce payments after non-compliance; exemptions and the effect on dependent children are central design questions.
Climate & infrastructure
Agriculture produces a large share of New Zealand’s emissions, especially methane and nitrous oxide. A farm-level price could include credits, free allocations or transition assistance.
A permit ban limits exploration for new offshore fields but does not immediately close existing production. The debate links emissions targets with energy security, industrial demand and transition timing.
Fast-track regimes shorten or replace parts of standard resource-consent processes. The key trade-off is speed and certainty against public participation, environmental testing and institutional checks.
Transport budgets divide limited capital between roads, maintenance, buses, rail, walking and cycling. The choice affects travel time, emissions, land use and who benefits from investment.
Te Tiriti & democracy
Treaty principles have developed through legislation, courts and the Waitangi Tribunal. A referendum could provide direct democratic authority, but a majority vote would determine rules affecting an agreement between the Crown and Māori.
Co-governance arrangements give appointed Māori representatives and Crown or council representatives defined roles in a governing body. Models differ widely and do not necessarily transfer operational control.
Māori electorates provide a separate electoral-roll option while every voter still has one electorate vote and one party vote. The number of seats changes with enrolment on the Māori roll.
Lowering the voting age would enfranchise secondary-school students and other 16- and 17-year-olds. It would require legislation and, for general elections, broader constitutional support.
Justice & society
Sentences serve several purposes: accountability, deterrence, public protection and rehabilitation. The practical disagreement concerns sentence length, judicial discretion, repeat offenders and investment inside prisons.
A regulated model can control age, production, sale and taxation while retaining penalties for supply outside the system. Decriminalisation is narrower and removes or reduces penalties without creating a legal market.
Education & migration
Charter or partnership schools receive public funding but have greater operational freedom under a performance contract. Debate centres on innovation, accountability, teacher conditions and what happens when a school fails.
Net migration is arrivals minus departures and can change sharply with labour demand and visa settings. A ceiling offers a visible target but cannot fully control how many residents leave in a given year.
A universal fees-free entitlement reduces direct study costs. Alternatives include targeted grants, income-contingent loans, apprenticeships support or funding institutions to expand places in priority subjects.
Primary current source: National — current plan and delivery programme ↗. Classifications are comparative editorial judgements, not endorsements by the parties.
Published results
Track every reported result before inspecting the latest poll releases.
2026 polling path
Each point is one published poll result. The dashed line is the current NZ Polls average, not a fitted trend.
Individual releases, not the weighted average shown above.
| Fieldwork | Pollster | Sample | NAT | LAB | GRN | ACT | NZF | TPM | OPP | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul – 23 Aug 2026 | Roy Morgan↗ | 858 | 31.0 | 24.0 | 15.5 | 10.5 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 9.5 | NAT +7.0 |
| 14–21 Aug 2026 | RNZ–Reid Research↗ | 1,000 | 29.1 | 32.2 | 10.2 | 7.7 | 11.9 | 3.0 | 5.3 | LAB +3.1 |
| 8–11 Aug 2026 | 1 News–Verian↗ | 847 | 29.0 | 30.0 | 12.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 1.1 | 8.0 | LAB +1.0 |
| 1–11 Aug 2026 | Talbot Mills↗ | — | 29.0 | 34.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 5.2 | LAB +5.0 |
| 1–4 Aug 2026 | Taxpayers' Union–Curia↗ | 1,000 | 31.0 | 27.8 | 10.1 | 7.3 | 9.1 | 1.5 | 6.1 | NAT +3.2 |
| 29 Jun – 26 Jul 2026 | Roy Morgan↗ | 881 | 32.0 | 25.5 | 13.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 2.0 | 8.0 | NAT +6.5 |
Compare rather than isolate
Use the same questions across all seven parties or return to the consolidated landscape.