ACT's Economic Policy
ACT advocates for a smaller state, lower taxes, deregulation, and free markets as the path to economic growth. They propose significant cuts to public spending, privatisation of state-owned enterprises, and removing barriers to business and investment.
In simple terms
Shrink government, cut taxes, deregulate industry, and let businesses and markets drive economic growth.
Impact to New Zealanders
Tax cuts benefit higher earners most; lower-income workers see minimal relief while public services slow due to reduced funding.
Deregulation attracts business investment to cities; rural regions and smaller towns lose services as companies consolidate operations and staff relocate.
Reduced environmental and labour oversight increases short-term profits but creates legacy costs: pollution cleanup, health issues, and wage stagnation burden future taxpayers.
Green Party's Economic Policy
The Green Party advocates for a wellbeing economy model, measuring success beyond GDP. Proposals include a universal basic income, public investment in green industries, stronger worker rights, and progressive taxation to reduce inequality and fund public services.
In simple terms
Measure the economy by people's wellbeing not just GDP, give everyone a basic income, invest in green industries, and make work fairer.
Impact to New Zealanders
Basic income reduces pressure on emergency services; hospitals see fewer stress-related visits, freeing up resources but straining welfare budgets.
Green industry jobs grow in regions, but older workers in fossil fuel sectors struggle retraining; regional inequality may initially worsen before improving.
Wellbeing-focused GDP metrics reduce investor confidence in traditional sectors, potentially lowering NZ's tax revenue and forcing cuts elsewhere despite improved citizen happiness.
Labour's Economic Policy
Labour's economic approach centres on investment in public services, the Future of Work Commission, the New Zealand Green Investment Finance fund, the Provincial Growth Fund for regional economies, and building a more productive and sustainable economy through skills and innovation.
In simple terms
Invest in people and regions, fund clean technology, and grow a productive economy that works for everyone — not just those at the top.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government spending increases; taxes rise on higher earners, reducing their discretionary spending and potentially slowing some private sector investment.
Regional workers gain skills and jobs in clean tech; but property prices in developed regions rise, pushing lower-income locals toward cheaper outer areas.
Economy diversifies away from agriculture/extraction; rural communities benefit from new industries, but older workers struggle retraining and some towns face prolonged decline.
National's Economic Policy
National focuses on returning the government's books to surplus, attracting foreign investment, reducing business regulations, growing exports, and restarting offshore oil and gas exploration. They support free trade agreements and public-private partnerships for infrastructure.
In simple terms
Cut government debt, attract overseas investment, reduce red tape for businesses, grow exports, and allow oil and gas exploration to boost the economy.
Impact to New Zealanders
Reduced business regulations attract foreign companies, but local small firms struggle competing without similar cost advantages, consolidating market power.
Lower debt servicing costs free government spending for other areas, but oil exploration investments require decades to return profits, delaying benefits.
Export growth concentrates in extractive industries, leaving economy vulnerable to commodity price crashes and reducing incentive for innovation-based job creation.
NZ First's Economic Policy
NZ First focuses on economic sovereignty, supporting New Zealand-owned businesses, controlling strategic assets, limiting foreign ownership of land and businesses, and using the New Zealand Superannuation Fund as a sovereign wealth vehicle for local investment.
In simple terms
Keep key economic assets in New Zealand hands, support local businesses over foreign multinationals, and invest superannuation savings in New Zealand.
Impact to New Zealanders
Local businesses face higher input costs as they can't access cheaper foreign suppliers, raising prices for everyday shoppers.
Superannuation fund returns lag behind global averages, reducing retirement payouts for workers who benefited from international investment diversification.
Reduced foreign competition limits innovation incentives for local firms, potentially making NZ exports less competitive globally over time.
Te Pāti Māori's Economic Policy
Te Pāti Māori advocates for a Māori economy framework that recognises the $70 billion Māori asset base, Treaty-based economic partnerships, investment in Māori enterprises, and redistribution through progressive taxation. They support economic decolonisation and Māori control of their resources.
In simple terms
Recognise and grow the Māori economy, form Treaty-based economic partnerships, invest in Māori-owned businesses, and redistribute wealth through fair taxation.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government redirects capital to Māori businesses; non-Māori small firms compete harder for remaining grants and contracts.
Māori-owned firms gain market share; higher tax rates on top earners reduce investment capital available to all growth companies.
Wealth concentration shifts toward Māori communities, but overall economic growth may slow if top earners or investors relocate offshore.
TOP's Economic Policy
TOP proposes increasing R&D investment to 2% of GDP through targeted tax credits, strengthening the Commerce Commission to break up supermarket and building materials duopolies, creating a new Impact Company legal structure for social enterprises, and shifting economic measurement beyond GDP to include wellbeing indicators. They argue structural reform is needed to address New Zealand's productivity problem.
In simple terms
Double R&D spending, give regulators the power to break up monopolies in supermarkets and building supplies, create a new company type for businesses with social purposes, and measure success by people's wellbeing not just GDP.
Impact to New Zealanders
R&D spending attracts tech workers to NZ, raising house prices in tech hubs and squeezing out service workers.
Breaking up supermarket monopolies creates more small competitors, initially lowering prices but increasing food waste and logistics costs.
Wellbeing metrics replace GDP, shifting tax incentives away from exports toward local services, shrinking NZ's international economic influence.