By Colin Ambler and Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
Labour and the Green Party have delivered a blistering joint wave of criticism at Budget 2026, accusing the Government of failing its final chance to ease pressure on households and instead deepening hardship for those already struggling.
Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said the Budget “fails the basic test of making life better”, arguing that New Zealanders are facing rising costs, shrinking services and worsening job losses under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis.
“Forty thousand more people are unemployed since Luxon took office,” Edmonds said, adding that cuts to the building sector have cost 20,000 construction jobs and that up to 9,000 public sector roles are now being axed. “These are the people who process superannuation, handle benefit applications and keep our borders safe. Cuts don’t grow the economy, they shrink it.”
Edmonds said families are being forced to choose between “expensive food and expensive fuel”, with energy bills up 20 percent and doctor visits approaching $100 in some regions. She also criticised the Government for raising rents for 84,000 social housing households by an average of $31 a week.
The Green Party echoed Labour’s concerns, saying the Budget leaves New Zealanders “fending for themselves” with no long‑term vision.
“Every day, New Zealanders feel the reality that Luxon’s Government has no hope, no plan, no ambition,” said Green co‑leader Chlöe Swarbrick. She said the Budget “reads like an ad for renewable energy” while the Government continues to “hook the economy to fossil fuel vulnerability”.
Co‑leader Marama Davidson said the Budget asks the most from those who can least afford it. “Students, renters, social housing tenants and whānau on low incomes are being told to wear the cost of this Government’s economic mess,” she said.
Both parties say the November election will give New Zealanders a clear choice about the country’s direction.