Labour says life costs a typical family $6000 more a year than when National took office, and makes the fight personal
Labour launched a cost-of-living attack on National on Tuesday 13 October. Stuff reported that the party claims it costs the typical family $6000 more a year to live than when the Government took office three years ago, and the New Zealand Herald said Labour cited groceries, power bills and petrol. RNZ headlined it a counter-attack, and Stuff described a highly personal campaign called “Cost of Luxon”. National set out commitments for its first 100 days aimed at bringing young New Zealanders home or keeping them here (RNZ), including priority for work and visitor visas for citizens’ partners (Stuff). RNZ reported National saying its superannuation stance has not changed, and a former National health minister, Jonathan Coleman, calling its beneficiary drug-testing policy “punitive”.
Living costs are the issue voters name most often, and the two parties are now arguing about whose numbers to believe. A single dollar figure is easy to repeat, which is its purpose, but it is only as good as the basket behind it.
Your own costs are the best check: compare your groceries, power and petrol bills with those of three years ago before you accept either side’s number.
Labour’s case is that groceries, power bills and petrol have all become dearer under National (NZ Herald).
National’s answer this week was to talk about keeping young people in the country and to say its stance on superannuation has not changed.
Ask each party for the basket behind its figure. $6000 is vivid, and a number with no method is campaigning, not analysis.
DailyDrop New Zealand edition No. 10 · Morning · WED., OCT. 14, 2026