Your Daily Ten@10 - 2026/010

This is edition 2026/010 of the Ten@10 newsletter.

Hi all,

This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.

Enjoy!

• 🗓️ Election timeline set: The 2026 New Zealand general election will be held on 7 November, with advance voting starting on Labour Day (26 October), kicking off a gruelling ~290-day campaign.
• 🏃‍♂️ A marathon by NZ standards: Commentators describe it as an unusually long campaign likely to exhaust MPs, increase missteps, and test public patience.
• 💰 Money matters more: The extended pre-regulated period favours wealthier parties, enabling months of unrestricted advertising and fuelling voter cynicism.
• 📊 Not unprecedented, but late: While November elections aren’t exceptional under MMP, this date sits on the later side, creating a long runway to polling day.
• 💸 It’s the economy, stupid: Most analysts agree the election will hinge on economic conditions—jobs, inflation, interest rates, and household finances.
• 📈 Government’s gamble: National is banking on improving economic indicators by November; a failure to deliver (or an OCR hike mid-campaign) poses real risk.
• 😴 “Dull & Duller” contest: Both major parties appear cautious and policy-light, prioritising steadiness over inspiration, risking voter fatigue and low turnout.
• 🔄 An inverted political cycle: Unlike the usual pattern, Labour is running a small-target campaign while National pursues large-scale reforms.
• 🏗️ Reforming government: The coalition is undertaking sweeping changes—RMA repeal, infrastructure fast-tracking, Three Waters repeal, co-governance rollback, and education reform.
• 🧭 Holyoake, not Key or Ardern: Richard Prebble advises Luxon to emulate “Steady does it” conservatism, reassuring voters rather than inspiring them.
• ⚖️ A finely balanced race: With centre-left and centre-right evenly matched, the election is wide open, though coalition maths constrain Labour.
• 🛑 Governing slows to a crawl: The long campaign and “Period of Restraint” mean Parliament will effectively stop making new law months before election day.
• 🏛️ Extended caretaker rule: Bureaucratic control could last up to five months, drawing criticism for undermining full-term democratic governance.
• 📝 Voting rules change: Same-day enrolment is gone—voters must enrol by 26 October, the first day of advance voting.
• 🔮 The year ahead: Ultimately, the election will be decided by whether voters feel better off economically by November.
• 🥵 A grind, not a vision contest: Expect an endurance race driven by budgets, stamina, and economic sentiment rather than bold new ideas.