Stuff
20 August 2026



Two Leaders’ debates; interactive multichannel election night special - Stuff Group launches ‘Aotearoa Decides’

With just under 80 days until New Zealand’s election, Stuff Group has announced an unmissable lineup of voter events, live-audience leader debates and weeks of exclusive coverage, including its most interactive, multichannel election night ever.

Aotearoa Decides brings together powerhouses of political journalism from the country’s largest digital news site stuff.co.nz, national political insider The Post, the South Island’s largest media brand The Press and the nightly and streaming ThreeNews. In the six weeks leading up to November 7, Stuff will deliver a series of live-audience Prime Minister and party leader debates, as well as investigations, interviews and essential analysis.

Kicking off the coverage will be two Leaders’ debates filmed in Stuff’s broadcast news studio and simultaneously livestreamed on stuff.co.nz, thepost.co.nz and thepress.co.nz.

The first on October 1 will feature the Kingmakers - Act’s David Seymour; Chloe Swarbrick from The Greens; Opportunity’s Qiulae Wong; Te Pāti Māori and Shane Jones from New Zealand First.

Then on October 20 is the Leaders Debate, with PM Christopher Luxon facing off against Chris Hipkins, giving New Zealanders the chance to make up their own minds on the major parties just 18 days before they cast their ballot.

Interactive polls, audience questions and panels from the country’s leading political insiders will drive online and in-audience engagement on the night of each debate, with moderation and analysis from journalists and Editors including Matthew Hooton; Jenna Lynch; Luke Malpass; Andrea Vance, Kamala Hayman and more.

Once the polls close on November 7, Stuff and ThreeNews will deliver an Election Night live Special to be simulcast live on Three, ThreeNow and stuff.co.nz. Hosted by Samantha Hayes and Paddy Gower, and with a live studio audience, Stuff will have journalists in towns and cities all over the country including Rebecca Wright; Lloyd Burr; Lisette Reymer, Zane Small and Amelia Wade with revolving panels of the country’s leading political commentators.

Stuff Owner and Publisher Sinead Boucher says the combined power of Stuff, ThreeNews, The Post and The Press’ teams, with the largest and most experienced group of political editors, journalists and commentators, will make Stuff’s coverage unmissable.

“It already feels like the election campaign is off and roaring amid the tightest of races and with so much at stake for New Zealanders,” she says.

“We’ve designed our Aotearoa Decides election coverage to bring the voice of the people right into every debate and interview, as nothing matters more for everyday Kiwis than choosing who will lead New Zealand over the next three years."


-Stuff