Christopher Luxon

Economy
National's Budget 2026 projects average GDP growth of 2.7% a year over the next four years, creating an estimated 220,000 jobs, with wages forecast to grow faster than inflation. The government says it has cut $50 billion in spending across three Budgets, redirected to front-line services, under a standing "no new taxes" pledge that has ruled out a bed tax and a bank tax; it is instead proceeding with a prudential levy on banks and financial market participants from April 2027 and consulting on capital market reforms across eight areas, including product disclosure, crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending limits, and auditor liability. The party has pledged to cut the compulsory student loan repayment rate from 12% to 10%, and projects a return to budget surplus in 2028/29, a year earlier than previously forecast, alongside $6 billion in reduced government borrowing.

Health
National has pledged three-day post-natal hospital stays, more palliative care centres for seriously ill children, additional funding for medicines, and lowering the bowel-screening age to 56.

Education
The party has committed to more funding for maths, reading and writing resources, a new national qualification to replace NCEA, doubling Trades Training Academy places, and more Youth Guarantee places for young people not in education, employment or training.

Infrastructure
National has proposed low-interest loans for solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation, and easier access to low-deposit mortgages for first-home buyers. It plans to support state-owned generator Genesis Energy to accelerate renewable energy projects and improve backup generation, help businesses move away from gas, invest in new trade networks to grow exports, and replace the Resource Management Act with a new planning system. It has also pledged to split supermarket cooperative Foodstuffs into two separate chains to break up the grocery duopoly, and to restrict commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf.

Security
National has pledged to scrap "good character" sentencing discounts for sexual offending, introduce tougher sexual consent laws, fund additional front-line Police and Corrections officers, add prison capacity, and launch initiatives targeting drug smuggling and transnational crime. It has also proposed a dedicated Auckland Transport police team.

Governance
The party has proposed referendums on adopting a four-year parliamentary term and on the MMP electoral system, and has said it will not work with the Opportunities Party (TOP) even on confidence and supply after the election.