| Party | Response |
|---|---|
 |
Labour will give every New Zealander three free GP visits a year with a new Medicard. We will scrap the $5 prescription charge. We will cap public transport fares at $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 everywhere else and will freeze the fuel tax for three years.
Getting the cost of living under control is Labour’s number one priority. We know that financial pressures are one of the biggest reasons why nursing students don’t complete their studies.  We want to make it easier for our graduates to stay and build a future in New Zealand. That is why we will cut student debt by 10%. If you’ve finished your study, didn’t benefit from Fees Free and are still paying off your loan, you’ll get the cut on 1 April 2027. Current and future students will get it after staying in New Zealand for three years once they finish their study. And if you owe $2,000 or less, we’ll wipe it off completely. – Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall Labour’s health policies can be found in full here: https://www.labour.org.nz/our-policies/ |
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Expanding training places is a stated priority for new funding. Our citizens’ income will act as a universal student allowance — one that nurses get to keep when they do paid work.
– Health spokesperson Jessica Hammond Opportunity health policy can be found here: https://www.opportunity.org.nz/healthy_people |
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Te Pāti Māori will create a universal student allowance and double allowance rates to ensure that all students are supported throughout their studies, including placements.
We will restore full eligibility for postgraduate, part-time, and long-course students and fund free public transport for all students immediately while we work toward funding free public transport for all of Aotearoa. Te Pāti Māori’s full health policy can be found here and its education and training policy here. |
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The Green Party will introduce paid clinical placements so nursing students are not forced to choose between completing their training and paying the bills, with a weekly stipend of $380 while they are on placement, and additional support for relocation costs.
– Health spokesperson Hūhana Lyndon The Green Party’s full health policy can be found here: https://www.greens.org.nz/health_policy |
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 National’s health spokesperson, current Minister of Health Simeon Brown, refused to answer any of Kaitiaki’s questions, citing NZNO’s “politicising” of health in the lead up to the General Election. |
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The ACT Party’s health spokesperson Todd Stephenson did not answer questions due to “capacity constraints”. |
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No answers were received from New Zealand First’s health spokesperson Casey Costello. |
Responses published in the order they were received.