Arapono
Election CentreYour VotePartiesPolicies
Learn
Log inSign up free
Data sourced from:
New Zealand ParliamentElectoral CommissionStats NZNew Zealand TreasuryRadio New Zealand (RNZ)Beehive
Arapono

Navigating New Zealand Politics

An independent, non-partisan political information platform for New Zealanders.

  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Learn

  • Find what matters to you
  • Your Plan
  • How Parliament Works
  • Glossary
  • About Arapono
  • Our Sources

Explore

  • Command Centre
  • Elections
  • Battlegrounds
  • Interactive Map
  • MPs Directory
  • Party Policies
  • Budget 2026
  • Bills Tracker

Account

  • Sign Up Free
  • Log In

Legal

  • Help & FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Submit a Correction

© 2026 Arapono. All rights reserved.

Arapono is an independent platform. All information is sourced from official NZ government and electoral sources. We are not affiliated with any political party.

In Parliament
NationalLabourGreenACTNZ FirstTe Pāti Māori
Contesting 2026
TOPWomen’s RightsAnimal JusticeALCPConservativeOutdoors & FreedomVision NZAllianceFree PalestineNZ LoyalTe Tai Tokerau

Conservative Party NZ

Conservative Party NZ
Not in Parliament Founded 2011
HH
Leader
Helen Houghton

Strong families, a strong economy, a better future.

Official websiteparliament.nz Track
0
Seats
0.0% of 123

Overview

The Conservative Party NZ is a socially and fiscally conservative party. It campaigns on traditional family values, lower taxation and smaller government, free speech, and citizen-initiated referendums, and states that it opposes what it calls “woke” ideology. It holds no seats in the current Parliament.

History

Founded in 2011 by businessman Colin Craig as the Conservative Party, its best result was 3.97% of the party vote in 2014 — never reaching the 5% threshold or an electorate seat. It was rebranded New Conservative in 2017 and reverted to Conservative Party NZ in 2026; Helen Houghton is its leader.

First established in 2011 as the Conservative Party; later rebranded New Conservative, and reverted to Conservative Party NZ for 2026.

Core values

Defend what the party calls traditional values
Restore “common sense” to government decision-making
Reduce the size of government and its role in daily life
Lower taxation, including a “Family Builder” tax policy
Support binding citizen-initiated referendums
Protect free speech

Where they stand

Tap an issue to read Conservative Party NZ’s position on it, in our words with their source. 5 of 11 topics have a recorded position.

Conservative Party NZ on Economy
Lower taxes, smaller government, growth through fewer regulations

The Conservative Party says government spends and borrows too much and needs to be made much smaller. They want lower taxes to encourage young New Zealanders to stay and work here, fewer rules on businesses, and more spending shifted to infrastructure. They also want to use New Zealand's own fossil fuels and minerals to create jobs and grow the economy.

What they say they'll do

  • Lower taxes to encourage young New Zealanders to stay and work here
  • Reduce government spending and borrowing significantly
  • Cut regulations and reduce the size of the government workforce
  • Shift government spending toward infrastructure
  • Develop New Zealand's fossil fuels and minerals, including an oil refinery
  • Restrict immigration of unskilled workers during periods of high youth unemployment

Who this affects

Young workers
The party proposes tax settings aimed at making it more attractive for young New Zealanders to stay and work in New Zealand rather than leaving.
Small businesses
The party says it will reduce the number and burden of regulations that businesses currently have to comply with.
Taxpayers generally
The party proposes cutting government spending and borrowing, which it says means less government control over people's lives.
Infrastructure users
The party says it will shift more government spending toward infrastructure projects.
Unemployed young people
The party proposes immigration settings that would limit the entry of unskilled foreign workers at times when youth unemployment is high.

In their own words

“Government spending, borrowing and control of our lives must be slashed.”
“Lower taxes, higher growth. Fewer and less burdensome regulations. Smaller government workforce.”
“Tax settings which encourage young Kiwis to stay and work in New Zealand.”
Verify at Conservative Party NZ — official policy page

Summarised neutrally from Conservative Party NZ’s own official policy (as at 2026-07-16) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Arapono is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Economy →

Full breakdown Every party on economy
Leadership
HH
Helen Houghton
Leader
At a glance
Total seats0
Electorate seats0
List seats0
Share of House0.0%
Founded2011

Latest coverage

News and video mentioning Conservative Party NZ, from the sources on our coverage page.

In the news

How a triumphant NZ First would force permanent change on the big old partiesNewsroom · 22 Jul
All news

On video

No video tagged to this party in the current window. That is the real state of the pool, not a loading error — coverage of the smaller parties is genuinely thin.

Sources

Seat counts from the 2023 General Election (Electoral Commission). Party background from parliament.nz and official party records. Leadership verified against the parliament.nz member roster.