Watch – 'Been a real slog': Luxon warns Labour bereft of ideas as he reveals 10 top promises

Christopher Luxon is presenting the election as a battle between National, a party with a “plan”, and Labour, which he says is bereft of ideas just weeks out from the November 7 election.

While he’s listed off various achievements of the coalition Government, he’s also acknowledged it’s “been a real slog”. He said his “team has worked around the clock, determined to leave a legacy of success for future generations”.

His comments followed speeches from senior National ministers Simeon Brown and Nicola Willis, as well as former Prime Minister Sir John Key.

In his remarks, Key warned about the costs of Labour being back in office and argued against “strategic voting”, saying people who thought they were being clever by giving National their electorate vote and putting their party vote elsewhere weren’t clever.

The National Party leader launched his party’s official campaign by deploying a new “pledge card” loaded with ten commitments he says his party will deliver on if re-elected.

They are mostly generic mission statements and policies, including to have “economic growth that delivers new jobs and higher wages”, “no new taxes”, “better school results”, “tougher consequences for criminals”, “faster healthcare and more medicines”, “better infrastructure”, and the “books in surplus”.

National leader Christopher Luxon at his party's campaign launch. Photo / Jamie Ensor.

The card also refers to policies already announced by National including compulsory KiwiSaver, paid parental leave extension from 26 weeks to 30 weeks, and a “better deal at the supermarket”, which the party hopes to achieve by pursuing structural separation of FoodStuffs.

Speaking at the International Convention Centre in central Auckland, with hundreds in attendance (although the auditorium wasn’t full), Luxon said his Government had “inherited a country in dire straits”.

He highlighted several of the issues he argued New Zealand faced, like high inflation, frequent ram raids, a focus on co-governance in the health system, and public money being given to the Mongrel Mob.

“Labour lost the plot. They spent more. They borrowed more. They taxed more. And through it all, they lost sight of what really matters. Your business. Your community. Your family. And your safety. Now, they’re desperately trying to argue they’ve changed. Do you believe them? I don’t.”

National leader Christopher Luxon at his party's campaign launch. Photo / Jamie Ensor.

Luxon said Labour had “embarrassingly little to say”, cherry-picking areas in which Labour is yet to release extensive policy.

While the National leader tried to suggest Labour has offered little policy, Chris Hipkins’ party has released some, ranging from a capital gains tax to fund three free GP visits, a fare cap for public transport, solar panel loans, a new KiwiSaver policy, an independent curriculum group, to promising every nurse graduate a job.

“Chris Hipkins says he’s still warming up. Well, I’ve got one simple message. You ‘better start now’. Because this country needs more than a slogan, it needs a plan. And Labour doesn’t have one.”

He said, “I could give you chapter and verse on Labour’s scandalous lack of policy just a matter of weeks out from election day”, but he pushed a key message about Kiwis not being able to afford new taxes or additional spending under Labour.

National couldn't quite fill the auditorium at the International Convention Centre. Photo / Jamie Ensor

Among the achievements Luxon highlighted was replacing the Resource Management Act, education reform, completing a Free Trade Agreement with India, and “cracking down on gangs”.

“National is the party of delivery. But the job isn’t done yet. So today, I’m proud to present National’s 2026 pledge card. Ten commitments. My personal promise to every New Zealander.”

The pledges are:

• Economic growth that delivers new jobs and higher wages
• No new taxes so you keep more of what you earn
• Compulsory KiwiSaver with higher contributions and a $1500 Baby Boost
• Paid Parental Leave extension from 26 to 30 weeks
• Better school results by replacing NCEA, regular assessment and teaching the basics brilliantly
• Tougher consequences for criminals and more Police patrols
• Faster healthcare and more medicines on top of 33 new cancer medicines already delivered
• Better infrastructure with Roads of National Significance, new classrooms and new and upgraded hospitals
• A better deal at the supermarket by driving competition
• Books in surplus so we don’t saddle our kids with new debt or more taxes.

National leader Christopher Luxon and former Prime Minister Sir John Key at the party's campaign launch. Photo / Jamie Ensor.

National has attempted to stick to Labour the various taxes proposed by the minor parties, arguing that Chris Hipkins will need the additional revenue they would generate in order to fund the party’s spending promises.

Hipkins has consistently said Labour would only introduce a capital gains tax if elected to power, ruling out those being campaigned on by the party’s potential post-election bedfellows.

Luxon was yesterday swamped by people at Auckland’s Moon Festival, held to celebrate the Chinese mid-autumn.

After delivering a brief speech, in which he invoked the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse to argue that New Zealand needed to keep the momentum of having National remain in power, Luxon ditched the formalities to meet those who had braved the wet day to attend.

National leader Christopher Luxon at Auckland's Moon Festival. Photo / Jamie Ensor

He spent nearly 30 minutes stuck in the same location as a long line formed of people wanting to grab a selfie with the Prime Minister.

After his team eventually pulled him out, Luxon was asked what the biggest issue was he was hearing from people.

“Oh look, it’s a pretty simple choice. No new taxes, or nine new taxes from Hipkins and his mates,” Luxon responded.

“People don’t like that. They want to keep more of their own money in their own back pocket.”

National leader Christopher Luxon and MP Nancy Lu. Photo / Jamie Ensor

Luxon went on to wave signs with National Party volunteers – who recited the “no new taxes” line – on the side of a busy Auckland road, before walking around a nearby food market.

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.