BETA
Menu
Data & research
Independent public-opinion data2026 election cycle / Public beta
CAMPAIGN GUIDE · NEW ZEALAND 2026

Compare the parties.

See the proposals, follow the funding and read the evidence.

7 parties67 selected policy summariesChecked

Proposals and forecasts are party claims. Our checks trace the sources and arithmetic; coalition agreements may change delivery.

Reset
START WITH AN ISSUE

See the choices together.

Living costs & tax

Income, tax, savings and everyday costs.

2 summaries · 1 party

Labour

2 summaries

A weekly cap on public transport fares

Cap weekly public transport fares at $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 elsewhere.

2026 election policyParty source
Our assessment & details

Our assessment

Analysis
Strengths
  • A specific weekly cap and start date make eligibility understandable; automatic tracking would avoid a separate application for frequent users.Evidence
Trade-offs & risks
  • The cap redirects 1% of existing transport funding; users spending below the cap get no cap-related saving.Evidence 1Evidence 2
Open questions
  • The reviewed pages give no dollar costing or breakdown of transport spending reprioritised, including how rising demand would be funded.Evidence 1Evidence 2

Party proposal

Labour proposes a $20 weekly fare cap in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 elsewhere. Once a person reaches the cap, further covered trips that week would be free.

Who it covers
Bus and train users nationwide, plus some ferries in the three main centres. Scenic and interregional trains, commercial interregional transport and other ferries are excluded.
Timing
In place by 1 July 2027.
Cost & funding stated by the party
Labour’s fiscal plan identifies the National Land Transport Fund: it would reprioritise 1% of the fund for the fare cap. The reviewed fare-cap page does not give a total dollar cost.
Sources reviewed
Labour: public transport fare cap Policy page · Publication date not stated
Labour: Fiscal Plan 2026 Policy page · Publication date not stated

A targeted tax on property-sale gains

Tax future gains on investment and commercial property sales, with the family home and other specified assets exempt.

2026 election policyParty source
Our assessment & details

Our assessment

Analysis
Strengths
  • A defined start date and sale-based payment avoid taxing gains before July 2027; the family home and specified business reinvestment are exempt.Evidence
Trade-offs & risks
  • Sellers of covered investment and commercial properties would lose 28% of taxable gains; a starting valuation is also required.Evidence
Open questions
  • Health funding relies on future sale receipts. How resilient is the $2.8bn estimate to different transaction volumes, gains and implementation?Evidence 1Evidence 2

Party proposal

Labour proposes a 28% tax on gains made after 1 July 2027 when residential investment or commercial property is sold. Its policy exempts the family home, farms, KiwiSaver, shares, business assets, inheritances and personal items.

Who it covers
People selling covered property for a taxable gain. The page also provides an exemption when a small business sells its premises to buy larger premises.
Timing
Only gains accruing after 1 July 2027, with tax payable on sale.
Cost & funding stated by the party
Labour says all revenue would go to health. Its fiscal plan forecasts $2.8 billion of capital-gains-tax revenue across 2027/28–2030/31; this is a party estimate of future receipts, not a guaranteed amount.

The revenue estimate is from the party’s Fiscal Plan 2026 table, reviewed in the fiscal-plans section below. Transaction volumes, realised gains and implementation affect receipts.

Sources reviewed
Labour: property capital gains tax Policy page · Publication date not stated

Selected coverage, not a ranking of policy quality. How we review the sources

Back to guide navigation ↑