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Labour Party NZ policies 2026

New Zealand Labour Party · Rōpū Reipa · Chris Hipkins · 34 seats in 2023

Centre-left party campaigning on a targeted capital gains tax to fund free doctor's visits, cheaper public transport and rebuilt public services.

Economic position

-5.3

state-leaning, on a −10 to +10 scale

Social position

-2.7

progressive-leaning

Positions recorded

37

each with a source and a date

See if you match LabourLabour's own website

What Labour is campaigning on in 2026

Labour Party NZ's clearest published commitments, each linked to its source. The full record on all 37 quiz questions follows below.

  • Strongly supports

    Campaigning on a 28% tax on profit from selling investment property from 1 July 2027, with every dollar ring-fenced for health. Excludes the family home, farms, KiwiSaver, shares and businesses.

    On: New Zealand should tax the profit people make when they sell an investment property.

    Hipkins: Labour Congress 2026 speech
  • Strongly supports

    Announced on 25 September as part of a $4 billion jobs and infrastructure plan: at least 6,000 new social homes over four years, $2.9b in capital.

    On: The government should add at least 6,000 social housing places over four years, even if it has to borrow to do it.

    RNZ: Labour's $4b plan for 6,000 social homes (25 Sep 2026)
  • Strongly opposes

    Flagship policy, three free GP visits a year via a new 'Medicard', and removing the $5 prescription fee from 1 July 2027.

    On: Health money should go to medicines and advanced treatment rather than making doctor's visits free.

    Hipkins: Labour Congress 2026 speech
  • Strongly supports

    Committed to remaining in Paris and to the existing emissions budgets.

    On: New Zealand should stay in the Paris climate agreement and keep to its emissions targets, even if it costs up to $5 billion and the United States has pulled out.

    Carbon News: Labour vows to reinstate the oil and gas ban
  • Strongly opposes

    Explicitly rules it out, described as 'dead-set against' abolishing prisons.

    On: Prisons should be phased out by 2040 and replaced with community-led alternatives.

    Te Ao Māori News: Te Pāti Māori on abolishing prisons
  • Strongly supports

    Committed to cutting net migration by roughly 20,000–30,000, partly by reducing international students in low-level courses.

    On: Migration should be cut to take pressure off housing, roads and hospitals.

    NZ Herald: Where the parties stand on immigration
  • Strongly opposes

    Has ruled out changing superannuation settings if elected.

    On: The age you can start getting NZ Super should rise above 65.

    RNZ: Labour rules out changing superannuation
  • Strongly opposes

    Would reverse the coalition's curriculum changes and mandated testing, which it calls the 'politicisation of education'.

    On: Schools should focus on the basics with standardised national testing, and NCEA should be replaced.

    Labour: Our Policies

Labour on economy, tax & cost of living

  • New Zealand should tax the profit people make when they sell an investment property.

    Strongly supports

    Campaigning on a 28% tax on profit from selling investment property from 1 July 2027, with every dollar ring-fenced for health. Excludes the family home, farms, KiwiSaver, shares and businesses.

    Hipkins: Labour Congress 2026 speech · verified 2026-08-13

  • People who own more than $10 million in assets should pay a yearly tax on it, even if they don't earn enough income to pay it.

    Opposes

    Has ruled out a wealth tax this term, choosing a narrower capital gains tax on investment property instead.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • The government should fix its deficit and debt by spending less, not by taxing more.

    Opposes

    Would rebuild public services and fund them through a targeted capital gains tax rather than cuts.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • The government should buy back a major bank and break up the power companies and supermarkets.

    Mixed / no clear position

    Middle position, proposes a 'NZ Future Fund' to invest in domestic business, but has not committed to nationalising banks or splitting energy companies.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • The age you can start getting NZ Super should rise above 65.

    Strongly opposes

    Has ruled out changing superannuation settings if elected.

    RNZ: Labour rules out changing superannuation · verified 2026-08-13

  • The government should rule out any new taxes and grow the economy instead.

    Strongly opposes

    Campaigning on a new 28% capital gains tax on investment property, ring-fenced for health.

    Hipkins: Labour Congress 2026 speech · verified 2026-09-29

  • Small businesses should pay less tax so they can grow, employ more people and grow the economy.

    Opposes

    Keeps the company rate at 28% and prioritises health and housing spending over business tax cuts. Inferred from its published policy rather than a stated opposition.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-09-29

  • People on a benefit who are able to work should lose part of it if they turn down suitable work.

    Opposes

    Has criticised the scale of sanctions and the cuts accompanying them, but has not committed to repealing work obligations. Direction is clear; the specific commitment is not.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-09-30

Labour on housing & renting

  • Annual rent increases should be capped at around 2%, and landlords should not be able to evict without a reason.

    Supports

    Supports stronger renter protections and previously removed no-cause evictions in government, but has not adopted a hard rent cap.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • The government should borrow to build tens of thousands of new state and public houses.

    Supports

    Would raise the Crown guarantee for community housing providers' social bonds to get more homes built, a smaller-scale approach than the Greens'.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • Landlords should be able to deduct mortgage interest as a business expense before paying tax on rental income.

    Mixed / no clear position

    No decided position. Labour removed deductibility in government but says it has not decided whether to reinstate the removal, and will confirm when it releases its fiscal plan.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • It should be quicker and easier to get houses and roads built.

    Opposes

    Supported urban density reform in government but opposes the coalition's fast-track ministerial powers, and would repeal the Regulatory Standards Act within 100 days.

    Regulatory Standards Act 2025 · verified 2026-08-13

  • There are too many rules on landlords, and the cost ends up in the rent.

    Opposes

    Introduced the Healthy Homes standards in government and supports strengthening them, short of a full WoF regime.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • The government should back 5% deposits for first-home buyers earning up to $300,000, so more people can own instead of rent.

    Mixed / no clear position

    Expanded the scheme's caps in government in 2022 and has not opposed this change, but has published no position on a $300,000 cap. Its 2026 housing focus is social housing supply.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-09-29

  • The government should add at least 6,000 social housing places over four years, even if it has to borrow to do it.

    Strongly supports

    Announced on 25 September as part of a $4 billion jobs and infrastructure plan: at least 6,000 new social homes over four years, $2.9b in capital.

    RNZ: Labour's $4b plan for 6,000 social homes (25 Sep 2026) · verified 2026-09-29

Labour on health & education

  • Health money should go to medicines and advanced treatment rather than making doctor's visits free.

    Strongly opposes

    Flagship policy, three free GP visits a year via a new 'Medicard', and removing the $5 prescription fee from 1 July 2027.

    Hipkins: Labour Congress 2026 speech · verified 2026-08-13

  • There should be a separate Māori-led authority commissioning health services specifically for Māori, in addition to the health system everyone uses.

    Supports

    Created Te Aka Whai Ora in government and opposed its disestablishment, but has not committed to recreating it in the same form.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • Schools should focus on the basics with standardised national testing, and NCEA should be replaced.

    Strongly opposes

    Would reverse the coalition's curriculum changes and mandated testing, which it calls the 'politicisation of education'.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • Parents should be able to choose their child's school, including charter schools that set their own curriculum.

    Strongly opposes

    Opposed, closed charter schools when last in government and would restore school boards' Treaty of Waitangi obligations.

    Labour: Our Policies · verified 2026-08-13

  • Public services like health and education should be expanded, even if that means Kiwis pay more tax.

    Strongly supports

    Campaigning on a capital gains tax with all revenue ring-fenced for health.

    Hipkins: Labour Congress 2026 speech · verified 2026-08-13

  • Students should have 10% wiped off their loans, even if it costs $583 million and is paid for by taxpayers who never went to university.

    Strongly supports

    Announced at its 27 September campaign launch: 10% off eligible loans from 1 April 2027, balances under $2,000 cleared, costed at $583.4 million over five years.

    RNZ: Labour's 10% student loan write-off (27 Sep 2026) · verified 2026-09-29

Labour on climate, energy & environment

Labour on law, order & justice

Labour on te tiriti, rights & immigration

  • A commission should be able to block laws it believes breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

    Opposes

    Opposed to the commission: Chris Hipkins said Parliament 'has to be the final decision-making body; not a judicial body', and Labour signalled it would not support the proposal. It does support Treaty obligations in legislation, so this is opposition to the blocking power rather than to the Treaty's role.

    NZ Herald: Te Pāti Māori's Treaty commission, and Labour's response · verified 2026-09-17

  • The New Zealand population should decide on whether to keep the Māori electorate seats.

    Opposes

    Opposed in direction: it is contesting all seven Māori electorates and treats their future as a matter for Māori. It has not published a specific 2026 commitment on a referendum, so this is inferred from that rather than a stated position.

    2026 NZ general election: party platforms · verified 2026-08-13

  • Migration should be cut to take pressure off housing, roads and hospitals.

    Strongly supports

    Committed to cutting net migration by roughly 20,000–30,000, partly by reducing international students in low-level courses.

    NZ Herald: Where the parties stand on immigration · verified 2026-08-13

  • Non-citizens who commit serious crimes should be deported, and a dedicated unit should track down overstayers.

    Mixed / no clear position

    Mixed, supports existing deportation powers for serious offending, but opposes new enforcement units and welfare stand-downs for residents.

    NZ Herald: Where the parties stand on immigration · verified 2026-08-13

  • As 4.3% of New Zealand's population speak it, te reo Māori should be actively promoted across government and society, including in the names of public agencies.

    Supports

    Supportive in direction: it would restore Treaty obligations removed by the coalition and opposed the English-first directive. It has not published a standalone te reo policy for 2026, so this is inferred rather than a stated commitment.

    2026 NZ general election: party platforms · verified 2026-08-13

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