2026 Government Election

With the 2026 election fast approaching, this page highlights how Engineering New Zealand is advocating for the engineering profession. It breaks down the political priorities that affect you – including political manifestos and key announcements.  We’ll keep it updated with key announcements and what they mean for the engineering profession.

Video chats with election candidates 

Engineering New Zealand Chief Executive Richard Templer is hosting a series of election‑year chats with representatives from across the political spectrum about how their parties’ plans affect your profession. He will be talking to National’s infrastructure spokesman Chris Bishop, New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones, Act leader David Seymour, Labour leader Chris Hipkins, and Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong.

The videos will be recorded and uploaded here in July.

In the meantime, help shape the conversation and send us the questions you want politicians to answer.

Election 2026: New Zealand’s big infrastructure debate

Save the date! Election 2026: New Zealand’s big infrastructure debate.

Engineering New Zealand is bringing together the country’s political movers and shakers to debate one of the key issues for this year’s general election – infrastructure.

Join us on Thursday 6 August 2026 to hear directly from all the major political parties about their plans for engineering and solutions to New Zealand’s infrastructure crunch.

The discussion will also dig into how policy translates into concrete outcomes, from planning and funding, to delivering the infrastructure communities need for the future.

This event will ensure engineers across the country can hear from and engage directly with the politicians looking to form the next Government.

Our priorities for the election

We have developed key messages to help start our conversations with political parties. These messages are the same across each of the documents, but the topics are tailored to reflect each party’s priorities. You can read the letters here: