PremiumOpinionOpinion byToby MooreNZ Herald·5 Jul, 2026 05:00 PM6 mins to readToby Moore is a member of the Labour Party’s policy council. He previously was a senior adviser to former Finance Minister Grant Robertson. These views are his own. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks at National's annual conference where the party announced a policy of making KiwiSaver compulsory. Photo / Jamie EnsorTHE FACTSThe National Party has announced a policy of making KiwiSaver compulsory, phasing it in over several years. The policy is designed to increase people’s KiwiSaver balances. Treasury has published research warning that without changes to tax and spending, debt will rise to 200% of GDP by 2065 – although the assumptions around several things in this research, particularly revenue, are disputed. Ramping up Kiwisaver sounds like a great idea but it might come with a sting in its tail, leaving the country with two inconsistent parts to our retirement system.
Any compulsory savings scheme will put pressure on pay packets and our existing national superannuation, which will then
