Budget 2026 was National’s opportunity to show they had a plan to help New Zealanders get ahead. Instead, it left many feeling worse off.
At a time when the cost of living is biting hard, New Zealanders should not be left wondering how they will make ends meet. Seniors have spent decades contributing to our country. They deserve security, stability, and dignity in retirement.
National is making things worse. This is a budget of cuts – cuts to services and 9000 jobs across the country which are sure to be felt in every community.
It could mean losing access to care, longer wait times, less support from the services you rely on, or seeing children and grandchildren struggle to find work at a time when unemployment is already at a decade high.
We are seeing too many families separated, with loved ones heading to Australia in search of better opportunities. Fewer jobs here mean local economies will be worse off and more businesses closing their doors.
With the latest Hunger Monitor report showing one in three households struggling to access food, this Budget should have supported people with the cost-of-living. Instead,
National chose to make it harder for New Zealanders, while prioritising tax cuts for property speculators and tobacco companies. That’s not the New Zealand we know.
National is also considering raising the age of NZ Super, which would only make life harder for seniors.
Let me be clear: Labour is staunchly opposed to tampering with the age of NZ Super. We recognise Kiwis have already worked hard enough by the time they reach 65.
New Zealanders deserve to retire and feel like they’re not scraping by. That’s why Labour’s number one priority is a more affordable New Zealand.
We’re introducing three free doctor’s visits a year for every Kiwi and a Future Fund to back Kiwi businesses and keep our talent here at home. We’re stepping in where National has been missing and taking real action on the cost of living.
We’ll be announcing more policies over the coming months to back New Zealand’s potential and ensure Kiwis can build a future here.
