Key facts
- New Zealand's general election is scheduled for November 7.
- The ruling National Party, led by Prime Minister Luxon, is seeking a second term.
- The Labour Party, led by Chris Hipkins, lost the previous election but is campaigning on living costs and public services.
- New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters, has a history of coalition partnerships and proposes restricting voting to citizens only.
- ACT New Zealand, a right-libertarian party, is the junior coalition partner and proposes immigration reforms.
- The Green Party, co-led by Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson, focuses on cutting living costs and environmental reforms.
New Zealand is preparing for a general election on November 7, with current polling indicating a tight race between the incumbent National-led coalition and opposition parties. The outcome may again hinge on the performance of smaller parties, a scenario that played out after the 2023 election.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, leading the National Party, is aiming for a second term. He became leader in 2021 and led the party to victory in the 2023 election on a platform of economic management. His leadership has faced challenges, including confidence votes in April and August 2026. The National Party's current platform emphasizes returning to a budget surplus and expanding the KiwiSaver pension scheme.
Chris Hipkins, leader of the Labour Party, seeks to regain the prime ministership after losing office in October 2023. He became prime minister in January 2023 following Jacinda Ardern's resignation. Labour's campaign focuses on easing living costs, investing in public services, housing, and infrastructure.
Winston Peters leads New Zealand First, a party that has formed coalitions with both Labour and National governments. For the upcoming election, New Zealand First proposes restricting voting to citizens only, breaking up major electricity companies, and splitting one of the country's largest supermarket operators. Peters has also suggested New Zealand withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and that the central bank return to a dual mandate.
ACT New Zealand, a classical liberal, right-libertarian party, currently holds 11 parliamentary seats and is the junior partner in the ruling coalition. Led by David Seymour, who also serves as deputy prime minister, ACT has proposed a six-point immigration plan, including deporting serious offenders and a surcharge on temporary work visas.
The Green Party, co-led by Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson, is a left-leaning environmental party that has previously supported Labour-led governments. Their campaign themes include cutting living costs, protecting nature, and reforming political funding, with proposals for a wealth tax, higher taxes on large companies, and a tax-free income threshold. They also advocate for a state-owned power company and tougher rules on grocery pricing.
Te Pati Maori is polling below the threshold to return to parliament but is expected to win several of the seven special seats reserved for Maori. Co-led by Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, the party is focusing on increasing voter enrollment on the Maori electoral roll and campaigning on issues such as housing, health, education, environmental protection, and constitutional transformation.
Opportunity, formerly The Opportunities Party (TOP), founded by economist Gareth Morgan, has never won a parliamentary seat. Now led by Auckland businesswoman Qiulae Wong, the party describes itself as neither left- nor right-wing and advocates for "workable, costed reforms." Its central policy is a land value tax, proposed at 1.75% annually on residential land and 0.5% on rural land, which it claims would raise NZ$24 billion a year to fund broader tax changes.