The surprises keep coming in the final Bribe-O-Meter of the 2026 campaign, with Labour's manifesto adding more than $1.2 billion to its spending promises. This takes their total to $35.45 billion, or $17,109 per household.
The biggest addition is a promise to raise benefits by the higher of inflation or average wage growth, rather than just inflation. Despite appearing in their manifesto, there is no mention of this at all in their "fully costed and fully funded" fiscal plan. We cost this at $1.16 billion over four years, adding another $561 per household to their fiscal gap.
Labour have also added a rent-to-buy scheme for social housing tenants ($22.9 million), a higher First Home Loan income cap ($5 million), and marae resilience funding ($30 million), all of which were uncosted.
Despite being watered down in their fiscal plan, Labour's pledge to raise spending to around 33 percent has returned in their manifesto. On Treasury’s forecasts that would allow up to $55.4 billion of new spending over four years, or $26,736 per household. Labour’s announced promises account for $35.45 billion of that, leaving room for a further $19.9 billion ($9,627 per household) of spending it has not yet announced.
The Greens and Opportunity finish the campaign as the biggest spenders by a wide margin, at $272.31 billion ($131,425 per household) and $229.62 billion ($110,821 per household) respectively. Neither has changed this week. The Greens’ own fiscal plan leaves $243.56 billion of their promises unfunded, or $117,550 per household. Opportunity has still not released a fiscal plan.
NZ First is next at $93.93 billion ($45,335 per household), up from $93.32 billion after adding $617 million for its ten-point rail policy. National is unchanged at $5.11 billion ($2,467 per household). ACT remains the only party proposing net savings, now $17.84 billion ($8,609 per household).
In the final transparency rankings, Labour drops half a star to 1.5, having started the campaign on 4. National and ACT finish on 4 stars, Opportunity on 2.5, NZ First on 1, and the Greens and Te Pāti Māori on half a star each.
| Party | Spending Promise | Cost Per Household |
|---|---|---|
| ACT | -$17.84 billion | -$8,609 |
| National | $5.11 billion | $2,467 |
| Labour | $35.45 billion* | $17,109* |
| NZ First | $93.93 billion | $45,335 |
| Opportunity | $229.62 billion | $110,821 |
| Green Party | $272.31 billion | $131,425 |
| Te Pāti Māori | Too vague to cost overall | N/A |
Taxpayers’ Union Head of Policy James Ross said:
“Nine weeks of the Bribe-O-Meter have exposed hundreds of billions in unfunded promises and missing costings. The Greens are far and away this election's biggest spenders at $131,425-per-household, closely followed by Opportunity on $110,821-per-household."
“Once again, Labour’s claim to be ‘fully costed and fully funded’ doesn’t survive scrutiny. Its manifesto promises benefit hikes which we cost at $1.16 billion over four years, yet its fiscal plan makes no mention of them. Hipkins is trying to have his cake and eat it too: claiming credit for the promise while leaving the bill out of his books.”
"Only one party has made it through election season without chucking money at voters, with ACT promising taxpayers $8,609-per-household of much-needed relief."
Weekly Bribe-O-Meter updates, including our Transparency Score Rankings, are available at www.taxpayers.org.nz/bribe_o_meter.
