The election is on: what National and Labour just promised

National and Labour started their 2026 election campaigns in Auckland on Sunday, 27 September.

Both parties launched in the city on the same day. Their early focus was tax, student debt and the cost of living, according to RNZ live coverage. RNZ kept live updates going into day two, following politicians at events around the country.

National met in central Auckland. Speeches were billed from leader Christopher Luxon and former prime minister John Key, and RNZ's live blog, "Election season begins as National and Labour launch campaigns", listed Luxon's speech in its plan.

Luxon set out the party's 10 top promises. It was presented as a pledge card, not new policy, according to RNZ. That detail was in the day-two coverage published on 27 September.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins promised to cut student debt if Labour is elected. He would write off 10% of eligible student loan balances, as reported by RNZ and the NZ Herald on 27 September. It would cost $583 million over four years, according to the NZ Herald. Hipkins also promised plenty more fire to come.

National already had an education promise out before launch week. The party campaigned on ending the use of digital screens in early childhood education and proposed new skill-level checks for young children, as reported on 20 September.

The broader context here is how they campaign. The two launches together gave the Press Gallery, the journalists who cover Parliament, and campaign workers a first clear read of the next fortnight. A pledge card is like a short shopping list. It is easy to check, easy for candidates to carry, and leaves rivals less to attack in week one.

Looking ahead to the next few weeks, tax, student debt and living costs are the early ground. National ran a tax attack around the launches, while Labour answered with its loan write-off. For campaign workers, that means a fight over household budgets and younger voters. Under MMP, where parties often need partners to form a government, both ideas have a second use. A clear pledge card helps in coalition talks. A loan cut helps Labour bring out supporters and gives it something to bargain with after the election.

In my view, day-one events rarely decide elections. They show organisation, message order and which voters each party thinks it can shift. Auckland puts media, helpers and undecided voters in one place. It also makes direct comparison easy.