Election 2026 Campaign Diary: Parties pick their battlefields as voting begins

Opinion bySenior Political Correspondent·NZ Herald·20 Oct, 2026 04:00 AM4 mins to readAudrey Young, Senior Political Correspondent at the New Zealand Herald based at Parliament, specialises in writing about politics and power.‌Labour leader Chris Hipkins (clockwise, from top left), National leader Christopher Luxon, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. Photos / Michael Craig, Marty Melville, Mark MitchellWith early voting beginning next Monday, Labour wants the campaign to concentrate on the crisis in health and the cost of living.National wants to concentrate on the areas over which it has an advantage: education, crime and the Mongrel Mob. The other