National pledges to reduce foreign aid, use money to increase Pharmac's budget and extend free cancer screening

Tuesday 6 October 2026 · 6 outlets · 11 reports · updated Wed 7 Oct, 9:50am

If re-elected the National Party would reduce foreign aid outside the Pacific and use the money to uplift Pharmac's medicine budge.

How they headlined it

First reported by 1News, Tue 6 Oct, 9:57am · 11 reports from 6 outlets over 24 hours

1NewsTue 6 Oct, 9:57am

National says it will cut foreign aid to boost Pharmac medicines budget (opens in new tab)
The PostTue 6 Oct, 10:05am

National pledges to lift Pharmac medicines budget by $604m by reducing foreign aid (opens in new tab)
- National wants to slash foreign aid. Where will any cuts fall? (opens in new tab) Tue 6 Oct, 4:00pm
NZ HeraldTue 6 Oct, 10:29am

Election 2026: National coming for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, foreign aid to pay for health policies (opens in new tab)
- National’s proposed foreign aid cut could make NZ ‘invisible’ on world stage, expert says (opens in new tab) Wed 7 Oct, 7:54am
NewsroomTue 6 Oct, 12:00pm

Would Nats’ retreat on overseas aid make NZ great again? ‘NZ is already great’ (opens in new tab)
StuffTue 6 Oct, 12:46pm

National pledges to reduce foreign aid, use money to increase Pharmac's budget and extend free cancer screening (opens in new tab)
- National promises boost to Pharmac, in part by cutting foreign aid (opens in new tab) Tue 6 Oct, 6:43pm
RNZTue 6 Oct, 12:47pm

NZ First calls National's foreign aid cut promise desperate, ACT hails it as win (opens in new tab)
- National's proposed foreign aid cut could make NZ 'invisible' on world stage - expert (opens in new tab) Wed 7 Oct, 5:24am
- Aid versus Defence: parties clash on foreign policy spending priorities (opens in new tab) Wed 7 Oct, 9:50am