Labour picks its 2026 election slogan — but the polls are heading the wrong way
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has revealed the party's 2026 election slogan at a house in Christchurch on 23 August. The launch comes at a difficult moment for the Opposition, with the latest polling showing Labour's support at its lowest point since the 2023 election. (RNZ)
The RNZ-Reid Research poll recorded Labour down 1.8 points. The same poll put the Opportunities Party in what is called a kingmaker position — a small party that could end up with enough seats to decide which of the big parties gets to form a government. If that result held on election day, it would make coalition talks harder for both sides.
Hipkins' rating as preferred prime minister fell 2.6 points to 21.3 percent. He stayed ahead of National's Christopher Luxon, whose rating dipped 0.1 points to 19.9 percent. (RNZ)
The slogan builds on ideas Hipkins has been talking about all year. At the Labour Party Congress in June, he told delegates: "Our clean, green identity isn't just a slogan. It is a promise. Vote Labour — so together, we can build our future here." (Labour Party) That speech followed a State of the Nation address in February where he put the party's economic message plainly: "Good jobs that pay enough. Not a slogan, a to-do list." (Labour Party) Labour's policy page lists three priorities: managing the economy responsibly, making healthcare more affordable, and cutting the cost of getting around. (Labour Party)
Labour also outlined its spending plan the Sunday before the slogan launch, promising a surplus by 2029/30. A surplus means the government takes in more money than it spends on its day-to-day running costs. It is a target, not something Labour has achieved yet. (RNZ)
On the government's side, National has said it will not introduce any new taxes during the election campaign. That has upset local councils. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said the decision made the Auckland regional deal — an agreement between central and local government on funding and projects — meaningless. Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods said calling it a massive blow would be an understatement. (RNZ)
The Queenstown Lakes deal has its own political complications. The government had been due to sign it on the same day Christopher Luxon faced and survived a second confidence vote from his own MPs. The deal remained unsigned as of the RNZ report. (RNZ)
The broader picture is that both main parties are under pressure. For Labour, the slide in the polls makes it harder to look like a government-in-waiting. Hipkins has been working toward that image for a while. In a March 2024 speech called "Values matter," he said Labour would be more prepared for government than any opposition in the country's history. (Labour Party) The polling trend since then makes that claim harder to back up with numbers, even though the party has kept working on its policies.
For National, the no-new-taxes pledge sharpens its fiscal message but clashes with councils that were counting on new ways to raise money as part of their regional deals. The unsigned Queenstown Lakes agreement, alongside the confidence vote Luxon survived, points to tensions inside the government that the tax decision could make worse.
The Greens have also launched their slogan — "For all of us" — along with campaign priorities at the party's AGM. (Green Party) With the Opportunities Party polling as a potential kingmaker, the minor-party picture looks more splintered than the usual two-sided contest suggests.
Taken together, neither major party has built clear momentum. Labour has its slogan, its surplus target, and its policy pitches in place, but the poll numbers are going the wrong way. National has drawn a firm line on taxes, but the fallout for its regional deal plans is still unfolding.
