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Evidence · NZ Election 2026 · Edition 3

Every question, every answer, every source

All 174 questions and the 793 answers produced on 16 October 2026. The 27 remaining cells produced no AI Overview.

questions
174
answers saved
793
collected
16 Oct 2026

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question was written as a voter would ask it and went to all four assistants. Some were also asked from a town. Open a question to read every answer to it in full.

Showing 20 of 174 questions

Show all 174

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    nz-election-2026-questions.csv

    One row per unchanged question.

    id, draft, text, voterCode, issue, towns

    174rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    nz-election-2026-answers.csv

    One row per produced answer, with its complete original text. Parties covers all 17 tracked parties; displayed parties covers the seven charted parties.

    result id, prompt id, draft id, scenario id, platform, region, words, parties, displayed parties, literal url answer, temporal pair, common four platforms, response text

    793rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    nz-election-2026-sources.csv

    One row per website associated with an answer; repeated citations count once.

    answer id, question id, assistant, region, domain, publisher

    4,275rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against official sources

    nz-election-2026-checks.csv

    One row per reviewed claim and assistant, including cells where the assertion was not stated.

    checkId, claimToTest, category, answerId, questionId, assistant, assertionPresent, assertion, verdict, whatTheSourceSays, checkedOn, evidence

    18rows

    Download checks against official sources (CSV)

  • Who to vote for: coding

    nz-election-2026-guidance.csv

    One row per manually reviewed guidance answer. Codes overlap; original answers supply the evidence.

    draft, assistant, q, voter, a, declined, matched, shortlist, asked, chose, extract

    31rows

    Download who to vote for: coding (CSV)

  • Location and national answers

    nz-election-2026-towns.csv

    One row per matched national/location pair in this edition.

    edition, prompt id, platform, city region, national result id, city result id, same party names, same text

    123rows

    Download location and national answers (CSV)

  • Changes between editions

    nz-election-2026-comparisons.csv

    All 17 tracked parties; one row per identical question, assistant and location across the 12 and 16 October collections. Earlier coding restated after the 20 October identity correction.

    earlier edition, prompt id, platform, region, draft id, block, scenario id, scenario, issue, priority, earlier result id, current result id, same party set, added, removed, earlier parties, current parties

    792rows

    Download changes between editions (CSV)

  • No AI Overview produced

    nz-election-2026-coverage.csv

    One row per planned cell where no AI Overview was produced.

    questionId, assistant, collectionSetting, askedFrom, availability

    27rows

    Download no ai overview produced (CSV)

  • Party-identity corrections

    nz-election-2026-party-identity-corrections.csv

    Ten reviewed false matches removed from the restated Edition 2 and current Edition 3 comparisons; original answer text is unchanged.

    edition, result id, party, before present, include, reason, reviewer, reviewed on

    10rows

    Download party-identity corrections (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · No location

I'm a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on Māori-medium education, te reo Māori and support for children at school?

2026 New Zealand election: Māori education, te reo Māori and support for tamariki

For a whānau balancing work, household costs and your children's education, there are three useful questions to ask of each party:

  • Māori-medium education: Will it support kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa Māori, kura-ā-iwi and wharekura, including the teachers, resources and pathways tamariki need to succeed?
  • Te reo Māori and Te Tiriti: Will it strengthen te reo Māori in schools and uphold Māori participation and authority in education decisions?
  • Everyday support for children: What will it do about learning support, teacher aides, school lunches, transport, attendance, counselling and the costs of sending children to school?

New Zealand's general election is scheduled for Saturday 7 November 2026, with advance voting beginning on 26 October. The parties differ not only in their education spending priorities but also in how they understand Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori participation in public decision-making. The main parties vying to form New Zealand's next governmentPolicies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026Te Tiriti and democracy: party comparison 2026

The comparison below focuses on National, Labour, the Green Party, ACT, New Zealand First and Te Pāti Māori. It distinguishes published commitments from what a party has already implemented; a policy promise is not a guarantee of results.

1. How the six parties compare

Policy position as of 16 October 2026. Proposals below are attributed to the parties; the degree of detail published differs.

Te Pāti Māori (@Maori_Party) on X

Te Pāti Māori

Māori-led education and tino rangatiratanga

  • Māori-medium: Proposes a Māori Education Authority and stronger Māori governance across education.

  • Te reo: Proposes making te reo Māori a core subject through Year 10 and incorporating mātauranga Māori into teaching.

  • Tamariki support: Proposes expanding school lunches, free public transport for students and free in-school counselling.

    Sources: Te Pāti Māori: policies and record 2026Education: party comparison 2026

Green Party NZ (@NZGreens) on X

Green Party

Te reo investment and Te Tiriti partnership

  • Māori-medium: Its language and Tiriti commitments support Māori-led learning and stronger community involvement; check its detailed education policy for specific kura funding commitments.

  • Te reo: Has announced an additional $50 million per year: $30 million for ongoing te reo education and professional development for teachers, and $20 million for Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai.

  • Tamariki support: Its 2026 manifesto emphasises inclusive education and putting tamariki, rangatahi and whānau first. Check the full policy for specific school-level entitlements.

    Sources: Ake, Ake, Ake: Green Party commits $200m to the future of te reo MāoriManifesto 2026

South Island Election Conference 2026

Labour

Restoring Te Tiriti obligations in schools

  • Māori-medium: Has committed to working in partnership with schools, kura and communities, though a detailed new Māori-medium funding commitment is not established by the sources cited here.

  • Te reo and Te Tiriti: Has promised to restore the legal requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

  • Tamariki support: Its broader 2026 platform includes Māori-led training for whānau entering skilled work, but that is not the same as direct school support.

    Sources: Release: Labour will restore Te Tiriti commitment in schoolsLabour's 2026 Election Policies

Will National Party Finish 2nd in New Zealand's 2026 Election?

National

Core academic skills and structured curriculum

  • Māori-medium: Has announced resources for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, Pāngarau, wharekura and Māori-medium curriculum pathways.

  • Te reo: Its 2026 package includes optional te reo training for 50,000 teachers, language-learning resources and new texts for Te Reo Rangatira and STEM.

  • Tamariki support: Emphasises reading, writing and maths, regular attendance, progress reporting and increased teacher-aide hours. Its stated plan is to exceed two million teacher-aide hours by 2028.

    Sources: Māori education package and draft curriculum release as school startsTeaching the basics brilliantly

POLICY TRACKER: TOP wants to fund cheaper doctor visits with junk-food tax | New Zealand Doctor

ACT

Academic standards, school choice and equal treatment

  • Māori-medium: The material reviewed here does not establish a comparable new Māori-medium expansion commitment.

  • Te reo and Te Tiriti: ACT advocates an approach based on equal citizenship and redefining the government's interpretation of Treaty principles. That is a significant difference from parties advocating stronger Tiriti-based Māori authority.

  • Tamariki support: Emphasises literacy, numeracy, school accountability and alternatives such as charter schools. Its 2026 commitments also address compulsory uniform costs and access to rural school buses.

    Sources: ACT New ZealandTe Tiriti and democracy: party comparison 2026Education: party comparison 2026

New Zealand legislative election winner? Predictions & Od... 2026 | Polymarket

New Zealand First

National policy and a referendum on Māori seats

Important distinction: not finding a published commitment is not proof that a party opposes a policy. Equally, a general statement supporting Māori students does not establish a funded, measurable commitment to Māori-medium education. Education: party comparison 2026Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026

2. What the differences mean for your whānau

The policies become easier to compare when you look at what they could mean in everyday life.

Your priority What to check before voting
A child in kōhanga reo or kura kaupapa Māori Will funding keep pace with enrolments? Are there enough kaiako, learning materials, classrooms and secondary-school pathways?
A child in an English-medium school Will they receive quality te reo Māori teaching, learn local histories and see Māori identity reflected in the curriculum?
A child needing extra help How many teacher-aide hours are funded? What help is available for learning differences, disability, attendance or mental wellbeing?
Household costs Are lunches, uniforms, transport and school-related costs reduced? Who qualifies, and when would the changes start?
Māori participation in decisions Will whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori education leaders have decision-making authority, or mainly consultation and advisory roles?

These questions matter because Māori-medium education requires more than translating a curriculum: it also needs a capable workforce, appropriate resources and pathways where tamariki can continue learning through te reo Māori. The Ministry of Education's Tau Mai Te Reo strategy explicitly recognises Māori authority and leadership in Māori-language education as part of its objectives. The Māori Language in Education StrategyMāori education package and draft curriculum release as school starts

3. Te Tiriti and Māori participation

The main difference is not simply whether parties support Māori achievement. It is also who should have authority over education and how the Crown should honour Te Tiriti.

  • Te Pāti Māori proposes a Māori Education Authority and greater Māori governance across education.
  • The Greens emphasise Te Tiriti partnership, community authority and greater investment in te reo Māori.
  • Labour has promised to restore the obligation for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
  • National emphasises educational achievement and has announced new resources for both Māori-medium and English-medium learners.
  • ACT emphasises equal citizenship and a different interpretation of Treaty principles.
  • New Zealand First has made the future of Māori electorate seats and certain Māori representation structures explicit policy issues.

These are documented differences in policy direction, not a judgement about which party would deliver the best outcomes. Implementation, funding, legislation and coalition agreements would all affect what happens after the election. Te Tiriti and democracy: party comparison 2026Ake, Ake, Ake: Green Party commits $200m to the future of te reo MāoriRelease: Labour will restore Te Tiriti commitment in schoolsMāori education package and draft curriculum release as school startsACT New ZealandNew Zealand First to Campaign for Referendum on Māori Seats

4. How to check the policies against the cost of raising tamariki

For a working household, I'd examine the fine print as well as the headline promises. For each party, look for:

  • The money: Is there a published budget, and is funding new or redirected from an existing programme?
  • The timing: Does it start in 2027, later in the parliamentary term or only after further consultation?
  • Eligibility: Does it help all schoolchildren, Māori learners specifically, or only families meeting certain criteria?
  • Delivery: Is there a clear plan for recruiting teachers, kaiako and teacher aides, particularly in Māori-medium settings?
  • Accountability: Will the party publish progress on Māori achievement, te reo proficiency, attendance and access to learning support?

For a wider comparison of education, household costs and Te Tiriti, the independent election guides Policy.nz and PartyMap provide additional policy details and source links. Check the parties' latest announcements as well, because policies can change during the campaign.

5. One question to help narrow your comparison

Which issue would you most want to see translated into a concrete commitment from the next government?

Ask anything

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Gemini · No location

I'm a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on Māori-medium education, te reo Māori and support for children at school?

As a Māori parent in a working household weighing your options for the 2026 New Zealand General Election, comparing the political parties requires looking closely at how they approach household costs, local services, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Māori participation in education.

Different political blocs offer contrasting visions for how public money is spent, how decisions are made, and how te reo Māori and tamariki are supported in schools.

1. Māori-Medium Education, Te Reo Māori, and School Support

Te Pāti Māori

  • Māori-Medium & Te Reo: Places self-determination (tino rangatiratanga) at the core of education. They advocate for a Māori Education Authority to shift governance and decision-making into Māori hands. Their policy platform features significant investment commitments (such as a multi-billion dollar pledge for kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa) to expand Māori-led learning spaces. They also support making te reo Māori a core, compulsory subject up to Year 10.
  • Student Support: Advocates for expanded school lunch programmes, free public transport for students, and free in-school counselling to ease cost-of-living pressures on working whānau.

Green Party

  • Māori-Medium & Te Reo: Strongly champions te reo Māori revitalisation, backing major funding injections (such as recent election pledges for a $200 million boost over four years for te reo initiatives) and supporting the expansion of kaupapa Māori education pathways.
  • Student Support: Focuses heavily on universal wellbeing support in schools, backing free healthy school lunches, mental health counselling, and resource equity for low-decile and community-based schools.

Labour Party

  • Māori-Medium & Te Reo: Generally supports the growth of te reo Māori in the mainstream curriculum alongside resourcing for Māori-medium pathways. Historically focuses on integrating cultural competency frameworks and resourcing workforce training for teachers.
  • Student Support: Focuses on equitable access to core public services, protecting universal or targeted school lunch programmes, and investing in learning support coordination for students with additional needs.

National Party

  • Māori-Medium & Te Reo: Focuses its approach on targeted academic achievement, structured literacy, and mainstream curriculum standards (such as mathematics and reading resources). Recent policy packages have included optional digital te reo training resources for mainstream teachers and specific learning materials (like Pāngarau and Te Reo Rangatiratanga texts) alongside infrastructure support for roll-growth in select kura.
  • Student Support: Emphasizes baseline academic metrics, structured teaching, and attendance initiatives, while scaling school lunch delivery models toward cost-efficiency.

ACT Party & New Zealand First

  • Māori-Medium & Te Reo: Generally skeptical of race-based or separate governance structures (such as independent Māori authorities), arguing for public service delivery based on individual need rather than ethnicity. They tend to scrutinize government spending on te reo Māori broadcasting and translation initiatives within public service departments.
  • Student Support: Emphasise parental choice, charter/partnership schools, and streamlining administrative education spending over centralized state-led welfare provisions.

2. Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori Decision-Making

  • Te Pāti Māori and the Greens view Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a foundational constitutional document requiring co-governance, structural transformation, and Māori-led authorities (e.g., in education and health). They argue that true partnership means Māori making decisions for Māori.
  • Labour supports honoring Te Tiriti through partnership models within state agencies and crown-iwi relations, though with a more traditional public-service framework than Te Pāti Māori.
  • National, ACT, and NZ First generally oppose co-governance models in public service delivery, arguing that public institutions should treat all citizens as equal under a singular standard. They emphasize democratic accountability through Parliament rather than distinct Tiriti-based decision-making bodies.

3. Household Costs and Local Services

For a working household balancing daily expenses, the parties offer very different economic levers:

  • Tax and Cost of Living:
    • Parties like Labour and the Greens propose tax reforms (such as capital gains or wealth taxes on top earners/investment properties) to fund public services, free programs, and cost-of-living relief for lower-to-middle-income families.
    • National, ACT, and NZ First campaign on fiscal restraint, opposing new taxes, promising personal tax relief adjustments, and controlling government spending to curb inflation.
  • Local Services & Infrastructure:
    • Left-leaning parties emphasize state-backed investment in public housing, regional health networks, and free or low-cost public services (public transport, health access).
    • Center-right parties favor partnering with private providers, community housing organizations, and localized management to drive efficiency and lower bureaucratic overhead.

Summary for Your Vote

  • If your priority is tino rangatiratanga, a Māori Education Authority, and massive investment in te reo Māori and kura, parties like Te Pāti Māori or the Greens closely align with those goals.
  • If your priority is mainstream economic management, targeted classroom resources, and choice in education alongside fiscal restraint for working households, parties like National or ACT form that perspective.
  • Labour sits in the middle, balancing support for te reo integration and public school funding with traditional social-democratic delivery.

Which of these particular areas—expanded kura funding, household cost relief, or Tiriti decision-making structures—is the most important deciding factor for your whānau this election?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

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Google AI Mode · No location

I'm a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on Māori-medium education, te reo Māori and support for children at school?

Choosing how to vote when balancing household economics, community wellbeing, and a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi involves looking at how different political blocks frame education, language, and partnership with Māori.

The major parties approach Māori-medium education, te reo Māori, and school support through distinct ideological lenses:

1. Te Pāti Māori

  • Māori-Medium & Governance: Proposes establishing an independent Māori Education Authority (Kura Kaupapa / Motuhake) to take full decision-making and resourcing control away from the centralized Ministry and place it directly in Māori hands (tino rangatiratanga).

  • Te Reo Māori: Advocates making te reo Māori a core, compulsory subject through to Year 10 across all schools in Aotearoa. [RNZ]

  • Support for Children: Focuses heavily on equity and cost-of-living relief for working whānau by expanding universal school lunches, introducing free public transport for students and youth, and embedding free school counselling in all schools. [RNZ]

2. Labour Party (Centre-Left)

  • Māori-Medium & Governance: Commits to working in formal partnership with iwi, kura, and Māori educational providers rather than top-down mandates. Labour has pledged to restore explicit legal references and commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi within education legislation and school frameworks, reversing recent National-led curriculum adjustments.

  • Te Reo Māori & Curriculum: Supports te reo Māori integration and professional learning support for teachers, criticizing the current government's rollbacks on te reo professional development and localized curriculum resources. [NZ Labour Party]

  • Support for Children: Focuses on baseline wellbeing support within state schooling, defending programs like Ka Ora, Ka Ako (free school lunches) and investing in localized mental health and teacher aide resourcing.

3. National Party, ACT, and New Zealand First (Centre-Right / Coalition Government)

  • Māori-Medium & Governance: Generally emphasizes a "universal" approach to public education delivery with a strong focus on core academic metrics (reading, writing, maths) via standardized testing and structured literacy. They have rolled back or altered previous government curriculum components that explicitly centered Te Tiriti principles or localized iwi frameworks, arguing for a streamlined, centralized core curriculum.

  • Te Reo Māori: Tends to oppose compulsory te reo Māori requirements or race-based co-governance models in public service delivery, favoring English-first operational baselines while accommodating parental choice for kura kaupapa without creating separate structural authorities.

  • Support for Children: Focuses targeted funding toward structured learning interventions and attendance tracking rather than broad universal entitlements, though they have maintained scaled versions of school lunch programs with adjusted per-child funding models.

Key Questions for Your Vote

  • Autonomy vs. Mainstream Integration: Do you prefer Te Pāti Māori’s model of transferring systemic authority to an independent Māori entity, Labour’s approach of embedding Treaty partnership within the existing state framework, or the Coalition’s focus on a standardized, universal public curriculum?

  • Resourcing and Household Relief: For a working household, consider which party's package on student supports, cost-of-living mitigations at school (lunches, transport, gear), and community funding best supports your whānau's weekly budget.

  • Language Status: Do you favor mandatory te reo pathways for all tamariki nationwide (Te Pāti Māori/Green position) or a voluntary/resourced integration model?

You can explore detailed, side-by-side party position breakdowns on Policy.nz to see how every registered party standing in the 2026 election scores on specific education and Te Ao Māori metrics.

Ask anything

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AI Overviews · No location

I'm a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on Māori-medium education, te reo Māori and support for children at school?

AI Overview

As a working household with tamariki, navigating the education policies ahead of the 2026 New Zealand general election is vital for your family's budget, language preservation, and Te Tiriti-led aspirations.

New Zealand's main political parties take noticeably different paths on Māori-medium education , te reo Māori , and student support.

Party Comparison Overview

Political Party Māori-Medium Education & Te Tiriti Te Reo Māori Approach Financial & Student Support
Te Pāti Māori Wants a standalone Māori Education Authority ; actively backs iwi-led kura. Make te reo a core, compulsory subject through Year 10. Free public transport for students; expands free school lunches.
Green Party Reverses recent curbs on Te Tiriti obligations; opposes central curriculum overhauls done without iwi partnership. Proposes an extra $200 million investment over four years for te reo initiatives. Universal $380/week payment for trainee teachers during compulsory placements.
Labour Party Pledges to legally restore Te Tiriti commitments in schools and co-design curriculum with Māori. Reverses funding cuts for teacher te reo professional development. Limits uniform costs by capping branded items; continues free school lunches.
National Party Focuses on structured literacy across all kura; expanded charter schools, including some iwi-led initiatives. Launched the Te Ataarangi teacher te reo training programme. Mandates that students stay in school until the end of Year 11 to bolster core skills.

Key Policy Breakdown for Working Whānau

1. Māori-Medium Education & Te Tiriti Governance

  • Te Pāti Māori focuses heavily on Māori educational self-determination, proposing an independent Māori Education Authority to oversee funding and curriculum.
  • The Labour Party plans to re-enshrine Te Tiriti obligations directly into education laws following criticisms of recent curriculum overhauls, promising that future reforms will happen in genuine partnership with Māori.
  • The Green Party fiercely opposes state restrictions on Te Tiriti principles in schools, arguing that cutting iwi engagement compromises equitable outcomes for tamariki.
  • The National Party centers its approach on standardized metrics, requiring a daily hour of reading, writing, and math across all state education. While they reintroduced charter schools —some of which are iwi-led—their primary emphasis is on back-to-basics educational delivery rather than co-governance models.

2. Te Reo Māori in Schools

  • Te Pāti Māori wants to mandate te reo Māori as a core compulsory subject up to Year 10 to ensure universal language acquisition.
  • The Greens have committed to an additional $200 million package for te reo Māori. This includes allocating $30 million annually specifically for teacher training and professional development to normalise the language across all classrooms.
  • Labour aims to immediately restore the state funding cuts for teachers learning te reo Māori, enabling staff to weave the language safely back into the daily curriculum.
  • National launched Te Ataarangi , a te reo professional learning development program aimed at training 50,000 teachers, seeking to improve language capacity within the current framework.

3. Support for Children & Household Schooling Costs

  • Labour has zeroed in on direct household relief by introducing a policy to cap compulsory branded school uniform items starting in 2028, aiming to let parents purchase more affordable generic alternatives (e.g., from local department stores). They also sustain the free school lunches program.
  • Te Pāti Māori focuses on systemic youth support by bundling expanded school lunches, free school counselling, and free public transport for all students.
  • The Greens are tackling the teacher shortage by offering a universal $380 weekly payment for trainee teachers on practical placements, making it easier for Māori and working-class students to complete their qualifications.
  • National is tightening attendance rules, requiring tamariki to remain in school until the end of Year 11 (rather than dropping out right at age 16) to ensure they transition into workforce or higher training with verified literacy levels.

If you want to look at how these choices affect your day-to-day wallet, let me know:

  • Would you like to compare how these parties plan to address broader living costs (like working tax credits, fuel, or electricity caps)?
  • Are you interested in policies around housing security or renting for working families?

I can tailor the details to what matters most to your household.

Ask anything

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