Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths told The Front Page that if there were one word to sum up what voters will be caring about the most this year, it’d be “economy”.
“Everything relies on the economy. It’s the biggest issue for voters. They vote on how they’re feeling in their back pocket.
“We haven’t seen much growth in the last two years, but we are expecting growth in the next 12 months. The question really will be how much growth we see. National’s fortunes rely pretty much entirely on the economy. It’s not the be-all and end-all, but they will certainly be hoping to see some growth this year.
“Also, expect health to be a bit of a focus as well. The Ipsos Issues Monitor, which records the biggest issues for New Zealand voters, is pretty clear right now that health is the second-biggest issue.
“National and Labour have spent a lot of time talking about it over the last two years. So, expect that one to be on the agenda as well.
“I’d also keep an eye on superannuation this year. There’s been a bit of talk from Labour and New Zealand First on that. Both have pretty strong policies on the issue of superannuation. Expect a policy from National on that as well,” he said.
We should see both Luxon and Hipkins make major speeches to kick off the year within the next couple of weeks, Griffiths said.
“Both parties will be getting into January with their caucus retreats, where they all go away to various parts of the country and have meetings, then come together to fight an election campaign.
“And then, of course, you have Rātana and Waitangi coming up as well, the start of the political year, and that will make things even more explosive,” he said.
The annual celebration at Rātana Pa is seen as the unofficial beginning of the political year.
In 2025, coalition parties prepared to face Māori leaders ahead of the contentious Treaty Principle Bill hearings. The bill’s architect, Act’s David Seymour, was not there.
“Then in February, we have Waitangi up north, and that is always a set-piece event.
“Prime Minister Christopher Luxon didn’t attend last year. He actually spent the day with Ngāi Tahu in Akaroa, just outside of Christchurch. It will be interesting to see if, given it’s an election year, he will attend Waitangi celebrations,” he said.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- Coalition tensions
- Where minor parties stand
- Polls, blocs, and leadership
- Predictions for politics in 2026.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
