# Labour's election funding gap

> Labour needs $4.1m to fund 2026 election after $900k broadcasting allocation.
- Title: Labour's election funding gap · RNZ | Shortify
- Summary: Labour needs $4.1m to fund 2026 election after $900k broadcasting allocation. Labour raised $890,391 in large donations this year, far below the $4.1m needed…
- Keywords: labour, election, funding, donations, political parties, new zealand, 2026 election, broadcasting allocation, political campaign, politics, news, Labour's
- Source: RNZ — https://rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1867875/inside-the-multimillion-dollar-hustle-to-fund-an-election-campaign
- Author: RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa
- Published: 2026-10-12T22:04:32+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: labour, election, funding, donations, political parties, new zealand, 2026 election, broadcasting allocation, political campaign, politics, news
## Labour's election costs
Labour Party president Jill Day says running an election costs about $5 million.
## Annual operating costs
Labour has annual operating costs of $1.5m to $2m to cover party expenses.
## Total campaign costs
In a three-year cycle, Labour needs $11m to stay competitive.
## Broadcasting allocation
Labour gets $900,000 from broadcasting allocation for election promotion.
## Funding gap
Labour needs $4.1m to cover the gap between broadcasting allocation and costs.
## Large donations
Labour raised $890,391 in large donations this year, far below $4.1m needed.
## Green Party funding
The Greens raised $395,000 in large donations, less than Labour's $890,391.
## Green Party costs
The Greens expect 2026 campaign costs to be similar to 2023's $2m plus $2m for running expenses.
## Donation trends
National and ACT received more than $1 million in large donations from two wealthy individuals.
## Donation disparity
Labour has more donors than National but smaller average donations per person.
## Small donations
Labour received 53,499 donations of $1500 or less, compared to National's 43,481.
## Donation impact
Labour's largest donation came from Murray Jones' estate, almost $220,000.
## Donation access
Donors report getting access to politicians through events and dinners.
## Influence concerns
43% of New Zealanders think donors exert undue influence on politicians.
## Donation system
The current system allows unlimited donations, creating funding disparities between parties.
## Policy changes
Labour plans to increase transparency on where money for political advertising comes from.
## Key takeaway

Labour raised $890,391 in large donations this year, far below the $4.1m needed to cover its election campaign costs.