Economic growth may have returned to NZ, but lifting living standards will require more than a cyclical recovery. What should voters be looking for in policies?
Articles on NZ Election 2026
Displaying 1 - 20 of 22 articles
Despite gains for the Greens and slumps for Labour and National, the overall left-right balance remains largely unchanged.
Like people everywhere, New Zealanders are worried about living standards, costs and wages. But a global poll reveal some less obvious priorities.
The election has produced competing prescriptions for NZ’s grocery market – each targets a different barrier to genuine competition.
Opportunity’s ‘citizen’s income’ policy would do the least for the worst off, and retains many of the current system’s targeting complexities.
Political parties might choose their election ads but increasingly it’s tech companies’ algorithms that decide who sees them.
With just over two months until the election, polls have settled into a new normal, with no clear frontrunner evident.
A thriving arts scene generates more money than it costs to run. But cutbacks, restructuring and stagnant budgets risk pushing many practitioners to the brink.
Both major parties have had a revolving door of leaders. What is it about modern politics that makes the job so challenging – and are others doing any better?
NZ First’s Kiwi Kids Grant is tied up with the party’s broader immigration policies. But a ‘baby bonus’ for citizens won’t necessarily achieve the intended outcome.
The history of electoral reform in NZ is full of policy surprises. But the prime minister’s latest announcement still makes little political sense.
A ‘use it or lose it’ paid parental leave policy like Sweden’s could encourage more new fathers to share the early child-rearing months.
Winning the political centre is said to be key to electoral success. But what exactly does ‘centrism’ represent?
Election campaigns focus on today’s pressures. But NZ’s biggest challenges span decades and may require new institutions.
Retirement depends on NZ Super, KiwiSaver and housing. Treating each in isolation risks shifting problems rather than solving them.
TOP’s positive polling is fuelling media speculation about its electoral prospects. Can it finally get over the line? And what might happen if it does?
The UK leader’s resignation speaks to the challenges facing centre-left parties as they struggle to hold together increasingly diverse voters.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis forecasts an earlier-than-expected return to surplus in an unsurprisingly no-frills budget.
Voter turnout in New Zealand elections has been sliding for decades. Research suggests compulsory voting could reverse the trend – so what are the objections?
Scrapping the Broadcasting Standards Authority raises big questions about industry self-regulation and media accountability in the digital age.
Top contributors
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Professor of Politics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
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Research Associate, Public Policy Institute, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
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Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago
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Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Associate Professor in Media and Communication, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Otago
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Senior Lecturer in Law, Auckland University of Technology
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Professor of Finance, Auckland University of Technology
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Demographer/Lecturer in Population Studies, University of Waikato
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Senior Lecturer, Te Whare Ngangahau–Theatre and Performance Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Professional Teaching Fellow, Business School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Government, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Senior lecturer in Strategy, Adelaide University
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Professor of Economics, University of Waikato