Salvation Army asks candidates to address seven pressing issues this election
The Salvation Army is calling on election candidates to focus on practical solutions to the ‘Pressing Issues’ facing communities during the 2026 general election campaign.
Food security, housing, cost-of-living, poverty, welfare & tax, justice reintegration and addiction are the key challenges affecting the communities that the Army serves. The charity is urging political parties to address these issues through the lens of poipoia te kākano – (nurture the seed), a Māori wellbeing framework that emphasises the foundations people need to thrive: a place to stand, mana and dignity, pathways to opportunity, prevention and support.
Director of The Salvation Army’s Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit Dr Bonnie Robinson says the election campaign is an important opportunity for parties to explain how their policies will improve wellbeing for people facing hardship.
“Food insecurity and the cost of living continue to place significant pressure on individuals and families across New Zealand.
“Our country has plenty of food and food insecurity is a completely solvable problem. We are calling for politicians to work together with communities to end food insecurity,” she says.
“For many people, incomes remain too low to meet daily living costs. Even modest increases in essential expenses can create significant hardship for households already struggling to make ends meet.
“We need a welfare and tax system that supports people on lower incomes while generating the revenue needed to invest in housing, healthcare, education, infrastructure and climate resilience.”
Bonnie says housing remains a pressing issue for most communities. “Homelessness has been steadily rising, and we are asking political parties to explain how they will end homelessness, provide immediate access to housing for people with inadequate shelter availability in many towns, and support people into stable, longer-term housing.
“On top of this, we need to improve the way we help people leaving prison reintegrate into society and respond better to the rising levels of addiction in our communities.”
Bonnie urges people to make sure they are enrolled to vote by 25 October and to cast their votes on 7 November.
“Our system of government may not be perfect, but we are privileged to have an open democracy where every person gets to vote freely for a candidate and party of their choice,” she says.
You can find more information about the issues and ways to solve them at salvationarmy.org.nz/sppu/2026-general-election.
The Salvation Army Territorial Media Officer, 021 945 337, email: media@salvationarmy.org.nz (The Media Officer responds to enquiries from media outlets and journalists. If you would like to donate, are in need of help, or have some other non-media-related enquiry, please call 0800 53 00 00.)