The Democracy Project

The Democracy Project

News Briefing

News Briefing: 28 September 2026

Bryce Edwards's avatar
Bryce Edwards
Sep 27, 2026
∙ Paid

ELECTION 2026: CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): A pledge card vs a policy. Inside the battle of the campaign launches
Jamie Ensor and Adam Pearse (Herald): What stood out at National, Labour’s campaign launches (paywalled)
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Labour launches with a Wahs-like vibe and a student surprise
Jo Moir (RNZ): National and Labour leaders come out firing - and fed up
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Field notes from National and Labour’s campaign launches
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): National’s taxing campaign to hold the throne
Henry Cooke (Post): Labour outclasses National’s energy on campaign launch day (paywalled)
Henry Cooke and Harriet Laughton (Post): ‘The fight in front of us’: Labour campaign launch puts the spotlight on cost of living (paywalled)
Harriet Laughton (Post): National Party launches election campaign, vows to stand against the ‘economic vandals’ (paywalled)
Richard Harman: Hipkins comes out of the shadows (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Christopher Luxon warns Labour bereft of ideas as he reveals National’s 10 top promises
Adam Pearse (Herald): Labour reveals policy to forgive student loan debt as party kicks off election campaign
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Student loan write-off vs pledge card: The Chrises launch their campaigns
Russell Palmer (RNZ): ‘The job isn’t done’: Luxon launches National’s election campaign in Auckland
Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira (RNZ): ‘It made me so angry’: Hipkins targets cost of living at Labour campaign launch
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): National and Labour launch election 2026 campaigns
RNZ: Labour promises to write off 10% of some student loan balances
Justin Hu (1News): Key hypes Luxon as Willis teases fiscal outlook at campaign launch
Justin Hu (1News): Labour pledges wiping 10% off student loans for NZ-based borrowers
Anna Whyte (Interest): Labour goes after student loan debt, National goes after tax
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Promises and pledges: election campaigns officially under way (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): A tale of two election campaign launches (paywalled)

ELECTION 2026: PARTIES, ELECTORATES AND VOTERS
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The campaign to engineer a National overhang
Stuff: Two-thirds of Kiwis think politicians don’t care about people like them
Verity Johnson (Stuff): Hey NZ, please don’t be a conscientious objector voter this November
Michael Swanson: Gaming the House: overhang seats and the 2026 election
Isaac Davison (Stuff): Labour has held Mt Albert for 80 years. Even loyal supporters fear it could finally turn blue
Chris Trotter (Interest): Undue influence
Richard Harman (Post): Barbara Edmonds does it the ‘Porirua Way’ (paywalled)
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Greens say change won’t come from reheating the same political nachos
Justin Hu (1News): Greens-National deal a ‘conversation’ but gap wide - Davidson
Maria Slade (BusinessDesk): Growing grey vote is tiring of lack of options (paywalled)
Shawn McAvinue (ODT): Agriculture politicians share their vision for southern rural communities (paywalled)

HOUSING
Eric Frykberg (Listener): Rising housing inequality & widening wealth gaps: Is the Bank of Mum & Dad to blame? (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Post): Ten years without power: How Wellington’s community housing system is failing its most vulnerable (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Post): Government selling up 36 empty Wellington state homes (paywalled)
Simon Wilson (Listener): Wider Auckland needs about 1000 emergency beds. Move-on orders won’t fix that (paywalled)
Kate Newton (RNZ): Ministry delays rules on too-hot homes
Ellen O’Dwyer (RNZ): Kāinga Ora decision to sell off Wellington housing blocks disappoints locals
Sunday Star Times: Cheap homes may change schools (paywalled)

The paywall now starts partway through all Democracy Project newsletters. Please take out a paid sub if you want to support this service and access the full content, including the following sections: SUPERMARKETS, COMPETITION AND COST OF LIVING; PARLIAMENT, GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE; TAX, PREFU AND THE FISCAL OUTLOOK; ECONOMY AND BUSINESS; TREATY OF WAITANGI; LOCAL GOVERNMENT; JUSTICE AND POLICE; HEALTH AND PRIVACY; MEDIA; CARTOONS

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