Source: Better Taxes for a Better Future
2 October 2026, 4:05pm
Show us the money: Auckland event on Monday 5 October puts tax policy on the record ahead of the General Election.
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland: Representatives from parties seeking to form the next government will take the stage at Auckland Unitarian Church in Grey Lynn on Monday 5 October to explain how they plan to raise revenue and who will carry the cost.
Chlöe Swarbrick (Green Party), Qiulae Wong (Opportunity Party), David Wilson (New Zealand First), Oriini Kaipara (Te Pāti Māori) and Deborah Russell (Labour) will take part in the Better Taxes Election Forum, hosted by journalist Guyon Espiner.
Invitations have been extended to all parties, with ACT and National yet to confirm their participation.
Tax has dominated headlines in the lead-up to the 2026 General Election, but the debate has largely overlooked what tax pays for and how parties propose to fund better futures for Aotearoa.
“Monday’s event is an opportunity to ask candidates vying to run the country to be upfront about how they will address the challenges we face now and into the future.
Ordinary people are already bearing the cost of underfunding in our health system and infrastructure. And we know we’re facing rising costs of an aging population and responding to climate change and its effects.
The bickering about how many new taxes are on the table simply doesn’t cut it. The people of New Zealand deserve some real talk in the lead up to the election.” Kate Stone, Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign Manager.
The event is organised by the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign and its coalition organisations. It asks the parties seeking to form the next government to set out how they will fund hospitals, schools, transport and water infrastructure, and how they will gather that revenue in a more balanced way.
The pressures on those services include an ageing population, climate change, intergenerational inequity and the growing concentration of economic and political power.
Event details
- What: Better Taxes Election Forum: Show us the money!
- When: Monday 5 October 2026. Doors open 5.30pm, start 6pm
- Where: Auckland Unitarian Church, 1A Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
- Host: Guyon Espiner
- Panellists: Chlöe Swarbrick (Green Party), Qiulae Wong (Opportunity Party), David Wilson (New Zealand First), Oriini Kaipara (Te Pāti Māori), Deborah Russell (Labour). ACT and National yet to confirm their participation.
In person registration: bettertaxes.nz/better-taxes-election-forum
Live stream registration: bettertaxes.nz/livestreambetter-taxes-election-forum
About Better Taxes for a Better Future
Better Taxes for a Better Future is a campaign of coalition organisations. More information: bettertaxes.nz
Regional events: bettertaxes.nz/events