Compare the parties.

Party proposal

National says it would introduce no new taxes if re-elected. This is not an explicit blanket freeze on existing taxes or levies. It separately promises no increase in the International Visitor Levy for at least three years.

Who it covers

Taxpayers generally. The specific levy commitment covers overseas visitors who pay the International Visitor Levy.

Timing

The proposed next term of government; the visitor-levy freeze is for at least three years.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The visitor-levy reset starts 1 July 2027; its $105.1m net operating effect over 2027/28–2030/31 is included in the new fiscal schedule. The 12 October plan does not allocate a costed income-tax cut or an indexation timetable; it leaves future relief conditional on growing surpluses.

The fiscal paper explicitly acknowledges bracket creep as wages and prices rise. The visitor-levy freeze is not a guarantee about every existing tax, levy, fee or charge. Extra receipts from existing tax rules are not the same as a new tax rate.

Party proposal

National proposes an additional $604 million for Pharmac over four financial years, more clinical trials and earlier cancer screening. It would lower bowel screening to age 50 and extend breast screening to age 74 by 2029, with free cervical screening from March 2027.

Who it covers

Patients eligible for funded medicines and screening programmes. The cervical-screening proposal covers women aged 25–69; Pharmac would decide which medicines receive funding.

Timing

Pharmac uplift in 2027/28–2030/31. Cervical screening from March 2027; bowel and breast screening targets by 2029.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The policy table shows $351.1m net operating cost and $41.5m capital over 2027/28–2030/31: Pharmac $604m plus bowel screening $178.3m less aid savings $431.2m. All appear in the new plan as separate rows. The narrative’s further $45.6m MFAT saving remains unidentified in the tables, which count fewer savings. Other screening commitments are already funded or use baselines.

Party proposal

National would raise the First Home Loan income cap to $300,000 for all applicant types. Eligible buyers could use a 5% deposit, while lenders would still decide whether they can afford the mortgage.

Who it covers

Eligible first-home buyers within the proposed income cap. A smaller deposit does not remove the lender’s affordability test or guarantee approval.

Timing

Proposed for a re-elected government; no implementation date is specified in the reviewed sources.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The party paper estimates a fiscal impact of $4–6 million, funded from existing budgets. It does not specify an annual or multi-year period for that estimate.

Party proposal

National proposes school-readiness checks, screen-use rules, consistent term dates and qualification changes. Its manifesto also describes learning-support coordinators and teacher-aide hours as already delivered or funded reforms.

Who it covers

Children, families and schools. The coordinator proposal covers schools with Year 1–8 students; students would stay until Year 11 is completed or age 16, whichever is later, with exemptions for employment or further training.

Timing

NCEA replacement begins in 2028. The coordinators and two million additional annual teacher-aide hours are part of an already funded rollout from 2028.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The ECE paper refers to existing $266m Early Intervention Service funding. Screen-use changes are primarily regulatory; checks build on existing information. A whole-package new spending cost is not stated in these papers.

Party proposal

National proposes a Home Energy Fund offering long-term loans for solar, batteries, insulation and heat pumps. Loans would be secured against the property and repaid through rates or on sale. It would also relax consent rules for small-scale renewable energy.

Who it covers

Ratepayers with at least 20% equity in their property, in participating councils. Council participation would be voluntary.

Timing

Loans repaid over ten years. The reviewed paper does not specify a programme launch date.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The paper proposes a one-off $7 million Crown equity investment for a 20% shareholding, with remaining investment from councils and the Local Government Funding Agency. Borrowers repay the loans.

Party proposal

National would make KiwiSaver or an equivalent scheme compulsory for workers, lift combined default contributions to 12% by 2032, add $1,500 at birth and fund parental-leave contributions.

Who it covers

Workers, including the self-employed at the employee rate only. Equivalent employer schemes, parental leave and hardship have specified exceptions. Compulsory employer contributions would extend to contributing workers over 65.

Timing

Baby payments, parental-leave top-ups and over-65 employer contributions from 1 July 2027. Compulsory savings from 1 July 2028; employee and employer defaults reach 6% each on 1 April 2032.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The new plan implies $784m net over 2027/28–2030/31: $1,290.1m costs less a $506.1m net tax offset. Crown-employer costs are $140.2m above the original paper; changed assumptions need explanation. The tax offset already deducts reduced income tax.

The original paper excluded uncertain tax receipts. The consolidated plan includes them without publishing the model. The separate parental top-up revision is explained by longer parental leave; a costing revision alone is not a funding hole.

Party proposal

National would extend paid parental leave from 26 to 30 weeks in stages and allow parents to share or overlap the same combined entitlement. A 40-week longer-term ambition depends on future fiscal conditions.

Who it covers

Eligible parents under existing eligibility and maximum weekly-payment settings. Sharing the entitlement does not double the total weeks available for a child.

Timing

27 weeks from 1 July 2027, 28 from 1 July 2028 and 30 from 1 July 2029, for entitlements commencing on or after each date.

Cost & funding stated by the party

Displayed extension costs sum to $327.5m over 2027/28–2030/31, matching the fiscal plan. The standalone $327.4m total differs by $0.1m, consistent with rounding. The $121.9m KiwiSaver top-up is a separate row; shared-leave administration uses existing baselines.

Party proposal

National would lower the compulsory domestic student-loan repayment rate from 12% to 10% and add penalties and enforcement for overseas borrowers. Lower repayments do not cancel the loan.

Who it covers

Domestic borrowers making income-based repayments and overseas borrowers covered by the enforcement proposals. Existing repayment thresholds remain relevant.

Timing

The domestic repayment-rate change starts 1 April 2027. The cost table covers 2026/27–2030/31.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The five-year net operating cost is $372.6m after forecast penalty revenue and enforcement recoveries, matching the fiscal plan. The $296m current-year charge is principally a loan-book valuation effect; slower cash repayments affect debt on a separate path not fully scheduled here.

The enforcement estimate assumes $25m gross annual recoveries for $10m of extra annual funding, leaving $15m net. This is a collection assumption, not a guaranteed return.

Party proposal

National would add intensive employment support, reduce Jobseeker payments after two of the previous three years, introduce random drug tests and extend the main-benefit residency requirement.

Who it covers

The employment programme targets 30,000 work-ready Jobseekers. Long-term payment reductions are smaller for households with children; Supported Living Payment is unchanged. Existing main-benefit recipients, refugees and protected persons retain specified protections from the residency change.

Timing

Long-term payment reductions and the five-year residency requirement from 1 April 2028. The employment and savings table covers 2027/28–2030/31.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The plan uses $583m net savings, including $11m initial net cost. The welfare paper’s main saving is $572m from reduced payments, with other assistance offsetting one-fifth of the reduction; it does not assume extra employment-response savings from that payment change. Drug testing uses around $1.5m annually from MSD baselines.

Party proposal

National would require councils to keep annual rates increases within a 2–4% target range, overseen by an independent regulator. Exemptions would cover exceptional needs or demonstrated prudent financial management, with community consultation required.

Who it covers

Councils and ratepayers; the proposed range includes a minimum increase as well as an upper limit.

Timing

Implementation in 2029, with council transition support.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The reviewed page does not separately cost the regulator or transition support.

Party proposal

National proposes support for first-time employers, simpler recurring seasonal agreements and apprenticeship records, one-time business information sharing, and faster minor employment disputes. It would also introduce a minimum employee-support test before new collective bargaining begins, retain Investment Boost, and support 200 promising exporters.

Who it covers

Small firms, their workers and exporters. Bargaining would need support from the lesser of ten employees or 20% of the covered workforce, with at least two employees.

Timing

Employment-law consolidation in the next parliamentary term; no common launch date is stated for all new measures.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The full paper includes existing programmes and new regulatory or administrative proposals. It does not give a separate total for all 47 measures. Investment Boost is an existing deduction; the GST registration threshold is proposed for review, not a promised specified increase.