Election 2026: Greens propose $6b economic package promising 64,000 new jobs

The Green Party says it will create an additional 64,000 jobs through its economic development plan worth nearly $6 billion over four years.The policy, released this morning, features several measures the Green Party claims will stimulate the economy and bring the number of expected new jobs over the next four years to 284,000. Part of the policy was to rescope the Government’s investment boost tax deduction scheme to incentivise “productive investment that aligns with industry policy objectives, decarbonisation and decent work principles”. Potential coalition partner Labour has committed to repealing investment boost. It would establish industry policy objectives linked fellowships for researchers and technical specialists and create a funding pathway to help innovators “move from business experimentation and research through to validation, commercialisation and scaling”. The party would also restore science funding to 3% of GDP, increase funding for tertiary research and “use public purchasing power to support good New Zealand solutions”. Combined, the policy would cost about $5.9b over four years. “The Greens will not let New Zealanders be passengers in their own economy,” co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said. “We will ensure Government investment and incentives drive us where we all want to go: higher wages, sustained research and innovation, better education, resilient infrastructure, healthy nature and a country we can be proud of.” Co-leader Marama Davidson promised to “reignite our innovation system”. “Successive governments have failed to back New Zealanders and their potential. We will back the real innovators.” Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.