NZ First Pledges Minimum Wage Rises at Least With Inflation and Higher Working for Families Payments
New Zealand First used the election campaign on 10 October 2026 to announce income policies: the minimum wage would rise each year by at least the rate of inflation, and Working for Families payments would be permanently increased. RNZ's election live coverage and other outlets reported party leader Winston Peters campaigning on the pledges that day, while Labour leader Chris Hipkins used his own campaigning to speak against foreign aid cuts.
Working for Families is New Zealand's main support scheme for low- and middle-income working families, delivered as tax credits based on the number of children and household income. The minimum wage and family payments sit inside the cost-of-living debate that every party is contesting at this election; both the governing coalition and Labour have already published their own income and tax positions.
New Zealand First is a member of the current governing coalition but is campaigning separately from National on immigration, economic management and national identity. Polls put the party in the range where it could again shape the formation of a government, and Peters has ruled out a coalition with Labour.
The election is on 7 November, with overseas voting from 21 October and advance voting from 26 October. The detail and costing of each party's income policies will continue to be checked by media and fiscal analysts in the weeks before polling day.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Daderot / Wikimedia Commons（CC0）
