Ranked #4 of 17 on the Trump-o-Meter
New Zealand First
Nationalist-populist; coalition partner. Party website
Very good. Very strong.
76
21 policies & bills rated
Remove the ETS charge from fuel
NZ First would abolish the Emissions Trading Scheme charge on fuel over the next term, which it says added about 12 cents a litre to petrol and 14 cents to diesel over the past year. The party says the ETS took $850 million from consumers and businesses for carbon credits in that period.
Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2025 (oil and gas ban repeal)
Lifts the 2018 ban on new petroleum exploration permits outside onshore Taranaki, changes the Act's purpose from managing to promoting minerals exploration, and gives ministers discretion over decommissioning liability for former permit holders. Passed on 31 July 2025 and received royal assent on 5 August 2025.
$1bn offshore oil and gas survey
At its July 2026 campaign launch NZ First proposed a $1 billion "National Subsurface Development Survey" to map offshore oil and gas reserves, framing it as a response to fuel insecurity. Peters claimed high odds of a major commercial discovery and said royalties could eventually exceed 50%.
Repeal of the offshore oil and gas exploration ban
Led by Resources Minister Shane Jones, the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2025 reversed the 2018 ban on new petroleum exploration permits outside onshore Taranaki and eased decommissioning liability rules. It passed in July 2025, with new exploration permits available from September 2025.
Half of mining royalties returned to the regions
NZ First would return 50% of mining royalties to the region where mining occurs, for local infrastructure such as water, flood protection, energy and housing. The package also includes new mining zones, permits covering the full life of a mine, a modern geological survey, reopening the School of Mines and pushing agencies including DOC to reduce duplication and delay.
Replace the Waitangi Tribunal with a Completion Commission
NZ First would legislate within 100 days to abolish the Waitangi Tribunal and replace it with a Treaty of Waitangi Completion Commission that would finalise all pre-2008 claims and then end. Contemporary claims, settlement implementation and Crown-Māori relations would return to the Ministry of Māori Development, with Māori land reform made a priority.
NZ Super for citizens only from 2029
NZ First would make New Zealand citizenship a condition of receiving NZ Superannuation from 2029, after a three-year transition. Permanent residents and residence-class visa holders can currently qualify, and Peters has signalled some benefits such as Jobseeker could also require citizenship.
Immigration reform package: end birthright citizenship, 10-year benefit stand-down
NZ First would grant automatic citizenship at birth only to children of citizens, raise the citizenship qualifying period to 10 years and permanent residence to 5, and make visa holders ineligible for most benefits for their first 10 years. It would widen deportation liability, offer overstayers a 24-month window to self-deport, remove automatic work rights for international students, and hold a referendum on a legislated cap of 20,000 resident visas a year.
Bill to define "woman" and "man" by biological sex
NZ First's Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill, in the name of MP Jenny Marcroft, would define "woman" as an adult human biological female and "man" as an adult human biological male across New Zealand law. It passed its first reading in May 2026 and went to select committee; Peters has also promised to keep men out of women's sports.
20% company tax rate for small and medium businesses
NZ First would cut the company tax rate from 28% to 20% for companies with turnover under $30 million. The party estimates an initial annual fiscal cost of about $1 billion.
Referendum on the Māori electorate seats
NZ First will campaign for a public referendum on whether the Māori seats in Parliament should be retained, arguing MMP has removed their original justification. The announcement did not specify a question or timetable beyond implementing it after the election.
Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill
NZ First member's bill by Jenny Marcroft that would define 'woman' and 'man' in legislation by reference to biological sex. Passed its first reading on 20 May 2026 and was referred to the Social Services and Community Committee, with a report due 19 November 2026.
Voting restricted to citizens only
NZ First would limit voting in general elections, local elections and referendums to New Zealand citizens. Currently permanent residents and some other legal residents who have lived in New Zealand for a year or more can vote.
Leave the Paris climate agreement
NZ First campaigns for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, with Winston Peters arguing it hamstrings the economy; at a September 2026 rural debate NZ First's Mark Patterson said the party was prepared to leave. This puts it at odds with National, which has made staying in the agreement a coalition bottom line.
Degrees of murder, 'life means life' and stand-your-ground review
NZ First's law and order package would introduce degrees of murder with life without parole for first-degree murder, raise mandatory minimums for serious violent and sexual offending, cap non-guilty-plea sentence discounts at 10% and lift parole eligibility to 75% of a sentence for long-term offenders. It would create a dedicated organised crime agency, fold the Serious Fraud Office into Police, and investigate 'Castle Doctrine' and 'Stand Your Ground' laws.
Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Act 2024
Repeals the previous government's smokefree generation ban on tobacco sales to people born after 2008, the cap on tobacco retailers, and the requirement to cut nicotine in smoked tobacco. Introduced and passed under urgency on 27 February 2024 and received royal assent on 5 March 2024.
Remove fluoride from drinking water
NZ First's 2026 campaign includes a pledge to remove fluoride from public drinking water, which drew some of the loudest applause at its July campaign launch. The party has not published detail on how it would be implemented.
Repeal the Regulatory Standards Act
Days after voting for ACT's Regulatory Standards Bill as part of the coalition agreement in November 2025, Winston Peters said NZ First would campaign to repeal it at the 2026 election, saying the party had tried to neutralise its adverse effects.
Break up the supermarket duopoly
NZ First campaigns on breaking up the Woolworths-Foodstuffs supermarket duopoly, proposing a split into two competing cooperatives. It was presented alongside splitting the gentailers as part of the party's economic populist pitch at its July 2026 campaign launch.
Split up the electricity "gentailers"
NZ First's main March 2026 state-of-the-nation policy was an overhaul of the electricity sector, including Shane Jones's push to restructure the market by separating the generation and retail arms of the large "gentailer" power companies. The party has given limited detail on how it would work.
Buy back BNZ and $1,000 KiwiSaver at birth for citizens
NZ First would buy back BNZ and merge it with Kiwibank into a Crown-owned, commercially run 'National Bank of New Zealand'. It would also make an automatic $1,000 Crown KiwiSaver contribution at birth for New Zealand citizens only.