Election 2020: Parties' main policies at a glance

Welcome to the New Zealand Herald's party policy guide for the 2020 general election.

The Herald has a long tradition of summarising the key policies from the main parties and presenting them to readers in an easy-to-follow format as readers prepare to cast their votes.

These days the presidential style of politics puts a lot of scrutiny and pressure on political leaders, but policies still matter, arguably more than ever.

Politicians avoid calling them promises — "plans" or "priorities" are what parties put forward because any of them could be bargained away in post-election negotiations.

Voters therefore have to decide what policies matter most to them and which party will best deliver what we think is important. The level of each party's vote affects their strength in negotiations and whether key policies are likely to make it into a coalition agreement.

The guide below covers the policies of National, Labour, NZ First, the Greens, Act and the Māori Party on a range of topics - Covid-19, education, housing, law and order, environment, welfare/poverty, Māori priorities, health and the economy.