$604 million more for Pharmac, funded by cutting foreign aid outside the Pacific
Pitched as putting New Zealand patients first by spending more at home on cancer and other life-saving medicines.
π National: More medicines and earlier care, October 2026 β
What it does
- A further $604 million uplift in Pharmac's medicines budget. National says its first $604 million boost this term funded 66 new medicines, including 33 cancer treatments.
- Largely paid for by cutting foreign aid and related administration costs by 10 percent, with aid to the Pacific fully protected. RNZ reported the whole package at $823.8 million, including $41.5 million of capital, offset by a $431.2 million aid reduction, for a net hit to operating budgets of $351.1 million.
- A national clinical trials target (the 100-day plan aims for 5 percent of cancer patients to have part of their care through a trial within ten years) and support to produce CAR-T cell therapy in New Zealand.
- Screening: lower the free bowel screening age to 50 by 2029, complete the free breast screening extension to age 74 by 2029, free cervical screening for women aged 25 to 69 from March 2027, and pilots for prostate and lung cancer screening.
- A Healthy Kiwis Programme aiming to double the number of people on active prescriptions by 2030.
The debate
Health spokesperson Simeon Brown said more of New Zealanders' money should be spent at home caring for people fighting cancer and other serious illnesses. NZ First leader Winston Peters, foreign minister this term, said cutting foreign aid at such an uncertain time was "both desperate and dangerous". ACT leader David Seymour welcomed the move, saying "We can't afford to keep exporting taxpayer money." World Vision's Rebekah Armstrong said she was "really disappointed", pointing to more humanitarian need than ever.
This overview is summarised by AI from public sources. It may contain errors and is a guide, not the definitive record β we welcome corrections.
Where our research raises a question the policy doesn't answer, we put it to you β these are our questions, not government policy. Your vote stays anonymous even when you sign up (we use sign-up only to send you more things to vote on that you care about), and we report aggregated results only β the country's sentiment, never how any individual voted.
Key milestones
National pledges more medicines funded by aid cuts
Simeon Brown said a re-elected National Government would add $604 million to Pharmac's medicines budget, largely funded by a 10 percent cut to foreign aid outside the Pacific, and expand cancer screening.
Package costed at $823.8 million
RNZ reported the full package would cost $823.8 million, offset by a $431.2 million cut in foreign aid, leaving a $351.1 million net cost to operating budgets. Asked whether he had raised the cut with Winston Peters, Luxon said it was a National Party policy and they would cross that bridge in coalition talks.
NZ First critical, ACT supportive, aid group disappointed
Winston Peters called cutting foreign aid in uncertain times desperate and dangerous, David Seymour said New Zealand cannot afford to keep exporting taxpayer money, and World Vision said it was really disappointed.
Sources
- National: More medicines and earlier care (policy page) β
- More medicines for Kiwis at home (National Party, 6 Oct 2026) β
- Election 2026: National promises to cut foreign aid to boost Pharmac's budget, cancer screenings (RNZ, 6 Oct 2026) β
- NZ First calls National's foreign aid cut promise desperate, Act hails it as win (The Spinoff, 6 Oct 2026) β
- National's 100 Day Plan to secure our future (National Party, 25 Oct 2026) β