National election policy announcement expected as party gathers for AGM

National Party members are gathering for the party's annual general meeting, with a big focus on the economy and an election policy announcement expected.

Saturday's agenda in Lower Hutt will include some opening remarks from leader Christopher Luxon and party president Sylvia Wood, as well as a keynote address from finance spokesperson Nicola Willis on the economy.

Willis will also chair a forum on jobs and incomes, alongside Chris Bishop, Louise Upston, and Todd McClay.

Matt Doocey, Simeon Brown, Erica Stanford, and Penny Simmonds will hold a forum on health and education.

On Sunday, National leader Christopher Luxon is expected to announce an election policy, which RNZ understands will be in the economic space.

The economy and the fuel crisis will hang over the AGM, but the latest GDP figures have given Luxon cause for optimism.

"It just underscores that we had good economic momentum going into the fuel crisis. Obviously the fuel crisis will have some impact on inflation and also on growth, but that's why we've tried to be really responsible economic managers to make sure that as we get through the crisis we can pop out the other side and continue to accelerate growth," he said on Thursday.

"As you saw through our Budget, even through the crisis we're expected to grow the economy 2.7 percent over the next four years on average. That's higher than the EU, it's higher than Australia, Japan, many other countries."

Campaign chair Simeon Brown will also speak to delegates on Sunday ahead of a candidate roll call.

Ahead of the conference, Speaker Gerry Brownlee and list MP Nancy Lu confirmed they would run as list-only candidates at the election.

Brownlee said after the House rises, he will continue to be Speaker of the House for all non-Parliamentary matters.

"At the same time, I will work with my National Party colleagues in advance of the November election," he said.

Lu, who entered Parliament off the list following the Port Waikato by-election, and who had according to the New Zealand Herald sought the party's nomination in Papakura, said she would continue to campaign with New Zealand's ethnic communities to turn out the party vote.

"I have helped secure fairer visa settings, the first ring-fenced mental health fund for Asian communities, and better connection with our people and their local National Party MP," Lu said.

At the last election-year AGM in 2023, National's last AGM in opposition, the party set the membership a goal of hitting 45 percent of the party vote at the election.

National ended up getting 38 percent, and entered a three-way coalition with ACT and New Zealand First.

No board member positions are up for grabs this year. Board members serve three year terms, with the next batch of renewals due in 2027.

National is first cab off the rank to hold its AGM this year.

The ACT Party and Labour are both holding theirs next weekend, with Labour sticking to its tradition of calling its election-year meeting a 'congress'.

New Zealand First and the Green Party's AGMs will be held next month.