Parties under pressure to show how election promises add up

Morning Report · Sep 29, 2026 · 3m

Now that Labour's got its hands on the government's books, the pressure's piling on for them to explain how it'll pay for its promises, particularly pay equity. But it's not the only political party on notice. National will need to explain where it plans to cut costs if it wants to make the rosy projections a reality, and while Nicola Willis has raised the possibility of tax cuts, economists are saying: not yet. Political reporter Russell Palmer has the story.