Abstract
Public health is shaped by decisions made across government, in areas and sectors many do not typically associate with health. In the lead-up to the 2026 General Election, we surveyed political parties’ positions in three such policy areas with profound implications for public health in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). These three ‘upstream drivers’ of public health have become major election issues in 2026.
-Tax systems
-Climate mitigation and energy systems
-Democratic processes
Over the next two weeks, our Election 2026 series will present the results of the survey over three Briefings. Party responses have been reviewed by subject matter experts who analyse party positions and discuss how they would shape public health, should they form part of the next Government.
Five of the seven parties surveyed responded. Disappointingly, the National Party and ACT Party declined to respond. However, because of the serious implications of these policy areas, we have asked authors to comment on what is publicly known of these two parties' positions.