Every question, every answer, every source

I’d help you make this decision by treating your household’s financial security, the services your whānau relies on, and your views on Te Tiriti o Waitangi as distinct but connected priorities.

Being Māori doesn't tell me which party you should support. You might prioritise the cost of groceries and housing, want stronger Māori participation in public decisions, care about both equally, or have other priorities altogether. The aim is to understand what matters to you, examine what parties actually propose, and let you decide how to weigh the trade-offs.

For New Zealand’s 2026 general election, I’d use a practical comparison that distinguishes campaign promises from existing policies, documented records and independently assessed effects.

1. Compare policies against your actual household costs

Rather than asking which party says it will help working families, I’d look at how each policy could change your household budget, when it would take effect, and who qualifies.

Household issue	What I’d compare between parties
Groceries and essentials	GST proposals, food costs, targeted support and effects on disposable income
Wages and tax	Take-home pay, tax thresholds, minimum wage, employment rights and KiwiSaver contributions
Housing	Rent or mortgage costs, rates, housing supply, first-home support and social housing
Power and transport	Electricity affordability, fuel costs, public transport fares and access to services
Whānau and tamariki	Childcare, school costs, health care, prescriptions and family support
Local services	Access to GPs, hospitals, schools, public transport and community facilities

For every proposal, I’d distinguish between a direct financial benefit and a possible longer-term effect. A tax cut, for example, might increase take-home pay, while a public-service investment might reduce what your whānau has to pay privately. Both matter, but they work differently.

I’d also check the fine print: eligibility rules, funding, implementation dates and whether another policy offsets the benefit.

One useful starting point is the independent election policy comparison at Policy.nz — 2026 housing policies, alongside the government's Budget 2026 overview. The latter is useful for distinguishing measures already announced from promises a party makes for the next term. Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026Social Housing and Welfare - Budget 2026

2. Examine Te Tiriti and Māori participation separately

Te Tiriti is not just one policy checkbox. Parties can differ on the legal status of Te Tiriti, the authority Māori should exercise, how Crown obligations are enforced, and how Māori participate in decisions affecting their lives.

I’d compare each party on these questions:

Te Tiriti and Crown obligations

What does the party propose for Te Tiriti in legislation, the interpretation of Treaty principles, and the Crown's responsibilities? Would it retain, amend or repeal relevant laws?

Māori decision-making authority

What role would iwi, hapū, mana whenua, Māori organisations and Māori communities have in decisions? Is participation advisory, shared, or does it involve meaningful decision-making authority?

Services and equitable outcomes

What would change in Māori health, education, housing, employment, te reo Māori and whānau-led services? Are there specific commitments, funding and measurable outcomes?

Accountability and delivery

How would the party measure progress, report on commitments, respond to breaches, and involve Māori in evaluating whether its policies work?

These questions reflect different dimensions of Māori authority, participation and wellbeing, rather than assuming that support for one Māori-focused service automatically establishes a party's wider position on Te Tiriti. The Ministry of Health's Te Tiriti framework provides one useful reference for concepts including mana whakahaere, mana motuhake and equitable health outcomes. Te Tiriti o Waitangi framework

There are also concrete differences to investigate in the current campaign. For example, Te Pāti Māori's proposed Te Tiriti commission and changes to the status of Waitangi Tribunal recommendations have been reported alongside Labour's stated opposition to key parts of that proposal. That is a specific, documented policy disagreement worth examining, not a reason to presume which party you should support. Te Pāti Māori’s Te Tiriti entrenchment plan: How would it work, and could it happen?

3. Put household finances and Te Tiriti into one comparison

I’d build a side-by-side table for the parties you want to consider, using the same questions for every party. I wouldn't give any party an overall score or declare a winner; instead, I'd show the evidence so you can make your own assessment.

Here is the structure I would use.

Criterion	Evidence to record
Household affordability	Expected effects on your weekly or annual budget
Public services	What would change, for whom, and when
Te Tiriti	Specific legislative and constitutional commitments
Māori participation	Proposed roles for iwi, hapū, Māori organisations and communities
Credibility	Funding, implementation plans, previous actions and progress reports
Trade-offs	Potential benefits, costs, uncertainties and affected groups

I'd label each finding as one of three things:

• Committed policy: a published proposal with identifiable details.
• Record: an action, vote, law or funding decision that has already occurred.
• Uncertain outcome: a predicted effect that depends on implementation, economic conditions or support from other parties.

That distinction matters because a party can have a clear goal without having a fully funded delivery plan. Under MMP, the ability to implement a proposal can also depend on coalition and parliamentary agreements.

4. Decide how much weight each issue has for you

There is no need to assume that household finances should outweigh Te Tiriti, or vice versa. You can decide whether they are equally important, whether one is non-negotiable, or whether you want to examine the relationship between them.

For example, you might want to investigate whether a proposal would both reduce household expenses and improve Māori access to services. Or you might consider a constitutional commitment essential even if another party offers a different short-term financial benefit. Those are different ways of weighing policy, and the choice belongs to you.

5. Use both votes thoughtfully

New Zealand's 2026 general election is scheduled for Saturday, 7 November 2026, with advance voting beginning on 26 October. You have two votes: a party vote and an electorate vote. The party vote largely determines each party's share of seats in Parliament, while the electorate vote selects your local representative. Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026Candidate and party lists released

You can check registered parties, candidate lists and voting information through Vote NZ, and compare published policies at Policy.nz.

A useful final check is to consider the party's national programme and your local candidate separately. You may have different reasons for making each choice.

Let's make the comparison relevant to your whānau

To start, I'd ask just one question:

What are the biggest pressures on your working household right now?

Your answers would give us a starting point for a grounded comparison of published party policies and their implications for your household, while leaving your political judgement entirely in your hands.