---
title: "National policies: Election 2026 | NZ Business Alliance"
description: "What National has announced for the 2026 New Zealand election, summarised with sources. Informational only and not endorsed by National or any party."
source: https://alliance.org.nz/election-2026/parties/national/
---

[Parties and policies](https://alliance.org.nz/election-2026/parties/)

# National: policies for Election 2026

National leads the current Government. Its 2026 announcements centre on economic management, a surplus in 2028/29 and a promise of no new taxes.

Policies checked 3 November 2026

**Not endorsed by any party.** NZ Business Alliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by or paid by any political party or candidate. This page is purely informational: it summarises what each party has said, it does not recommend how to vote, and the party's own website is always the authority on its policy.

Poll average

28.2%

party vote, last 6 polls. [Poll tracker](https://alliance.org.nz/election-2026/polls/)

Campaigning on no new taxes, a return to surplus and “fixing the basics”.

## Economy and tax
- No new taxes. National’s fiscal plan prioritises bringing down debt and delivers a surplus in 2028/29.
- Budget Responsibility Rules: three rules to keep debt down, return to surplus and keep taxes low.
- A plan to double the value of New Zealand’s exports by 2034.
- Keeping rates affordable and refocusing councils on core services, with a reset of the International Visitor Levy so councils see a return from visitors.

## Family, savings and housing
- Make KiwiSaver compulsory for all workers and kickstart every child’s savings at birth.
- Make it easier to get a 5% first-home deposit through the First Home Loan scheme; income caps would rise to $300,000 for everyone (from $95,000 for a single buyer and $150,000 for multiple buyers).
- A long-term vision to modernise Paid Parental Leave.
- More funding for seniors’ housing and greater financial certainty for seniors.
- Student loan holders keep more of what they earn, with tougher rules for those who leave the country before repaying.

## Cost of living and energy
- Separate New World and PAK’nSAVE so they compete harder on pricing, specials and range.
- A nine-point energy plan to address the costs pushing up power bills, plus a Home Energy Fund to help electrify homes and farms.

## Law and order
- Modernise sexual consent laws so there must always be a “yes”, rather than an absence of a “no”.
- Abolish good character assessments at sentencing for all sexual offending.
- Remove the right to silence when a child is murdered.
- A dedicated Auckland Transport Police Team for buses and trains.

## Health and education
- More money spent caring for people with cancer and other serious illnesses at home.
- A focus on “teaching the basics brilliantly” in schools.

## Sources
- [National Party: policies](https://www.national.org.nz/policies)
- [The Spinoff: new policy round-up (September 2026)](https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/07-09-2026/new-policy-round-up-supermarkets-superannuation-first-home-buyers-and-climate-change)

Always check the party’s own website for its current, complete policy. Policies checked 3 November 2026.

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**Not endorsed by any party.** NZ Business Alliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by or paid by any political party or candidate. This page is purely informational: it summarises what each party has said, it does not recommend how to vote, and the party's own website is always the authority on its policy.