Ranked #10 of 17 on the Trump-o-Meter
Opportunity Party
Evidence-based centrist reform party. Party website
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11 policies & bills rated
Replace 1,000+ planning zones with 10 national zones
The Opportunity Party's Affordable Housing policy would replace more than 1,000 council planning zones with 10 nationally consistent zones, introduce national pre-approval for proven prefabricated and modular building methods, and let landowners defer land value tax for up to two years during development. It would also raise minimum rental standards.
Breakthrough Economy: R&D to 2% of GDP
The Opportunity Party's Breakthrough Economy plan would lift research and development spending to at least 2% of GDP, with measures including $125m a year to restore core science funding, a $600m-a-year technology adoption tax credit, $80m to restore polytech funding and student loan interest forgiveness for returning Kiwis. It costs the package at about $1.33bn a year, funded by its Tax Reset.
Abundant Energy: 30GW of renewables, no LNG terminal
The Opportunity Party wants a cross-party target of 30GW of generating capacity by 2050, a capacity investment scheme, the merger of five energy regulators into one, and cutting the 29 lines companies to no more than eight. It opposes the government's planned LNG import terminal.
Regulate recreational cannabis
Under its Smart On Crime policy, The Opportunity Party would regulate recreational cannabis use to undercut organised crime and reduce youth incarceration, alongside more focus on addiction treatment, post-release vocational training, mentoring and specialist courts.
$370-a-week Citizen's Income
Nearly all adult residents would receive $370 a week ($19,400 a year), replacing much of the existing benefit system, with top-ups for superannuitants and parents. Income tax would move to three brackets of 28%, 34% and 39%.
Clean Up Politics: donation caps and anti-corruption body
A $30,000 cap per donor per party per election, a ban on donations from companies and trusts, a one-year cooling-off period before ministers can lobby, a public lobbying register and an independent anti-corruption body. The party costs it at about $52 million a year.
AI data centres must fund their own clean energy
The Opportunity Party's Digital Future policy would require each AI data centre to fund its own clean energy, pay its full grid connection costs and publicly report its energy and water use. It also commits to hosting all critical New Zealanders' data in New Zealand and a 25% tax credit for small businesses adopting new technology.
Give the Commerce Commission power to break up big firms
One of The Opportunity Party's five coalition bottom lines is giving the Commerce Commission more independence and the power to investigate and intervene in anti-competitive businesses, including requiring structural separation, citing the supermarket duopoly as the example and applying across the economy. Its Breakthrough Economy plan adds $20m a year to the Commission's budget.
Healthy Oceans: end bottom trawling, 30% marine reserves
The Opportunity Party would phase out bottom trawling, shift to ecosystem-based fisheries management, protect 30% of New Zealand's ocean as marine reserve by 2035 (up from about 0.5%), and oppose all seabed mining.
Recommit to Paris and a $1bn coal and gas phase-out fund
The Opportunity Party's climate bottom line requires recommitting to New Zealand's Paris Agreement obligations and protecting the Climate Change Commission's role. Its Climate Action policy proposes a $1bn ETS-funded fund to move industry off coal and gas, a $5bn Climate Resilience Fund, and implementing the Commission's advice on 2050 targets.
1.75% annual Land Value Tax
An annual tax of 1.75% on the value of residential and commercial land (not buildings) and 0.5% on rural land, phased in over 10 years. Retirees can defer payment to their estate and farmers can defer in tough seasons.