Election 2026: Labour says its fiscal plan can stretch to cover cost of new pay deals, National is sceptical

Political Editor·NZ Herald·2 Nov, 2026 11:04 PM5 mins to read‌Labour's finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds (left) and National's finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis debate at the Mood of the Boardroom event. Photo / Michael CraigThe Labour Party says it can pay for the cost of a significant change to New Zealand’s industrial relations regime from within its fiscal plan. But the National Party says the only money left in Labour’s fiscal plan, worth about $10.3 billion over four years, has already been spent and