--- title: "PF135 · Captured AI answers" publisher: "Onsomble Limited" publication: "NZBrands.ai" edition: 3 collected_on: "2026-10-16" html_url: "https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/3/questions/cf0650f9-b643-4e1d-9c5a-f14fd006e3dd/" --- # PF135 · Captured AI answers Edition 3 · answers collected 16 October 2026. [Read on NZBrands.ai](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/3/questions/cf0650f9-b643-4e1d-9c5a-f14fd006e3dd/) ## Question For the 2026 New Zealand general election: How do parties differ on Te Tiriti, Māori-Crown relations and racial discrimination? Question ID: cf0650f9-b643-4e1d-9c5a-f14fd006e3dd. Report reference: PF135. Issue: Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations. Voter: No voter described. [Source record (JSON)](https://nzbrands.ai/data/nz-election-2026/editions/3/answers/cf0650f9-b643-4e1d-9c5a-f14fd006e3dd.json) ## How to read this evidence The answers below are shown as the assistants gave them, not a verified account or NZBrands.ai voting advice. They may contain errors or outdated claims. A recorded source association is not necessarily a link shown to the reader. Captured 16 October 2026. 3 answers were saved for this question. Missing answers have not been filled in. [Study methodology and limitations](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/3/method.md) ## ChatGPT · asked nationally Answer ID: cadf8b29-d969-4904-b858-0049cfb1ecd2. Captured 16 October 2026. **Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified** # New Zealand 2026 election: Te Tiriti, Māori–Crown relations and racial discrimination The main divide between New Zealand's political parties is whether Te Tiriti o Waitangi should be given a more explicit, central role in public policy and institutions, or whether government should emphasise equal treatment of individuals regardless of ethnicity and reduce race-based distinctions in law and public services. Those positions lead to different approaches to Māori representation, Treaty principles, co-governance, public services and anti-discrimination policy. There are also differences within each broad camp: parties may support honouring Te Tiriti while disagreeing over what that requires in practice. The comparison below focuses on the major parties in Parliament and their relevant policy directions, using the 2026 election period as the context. It distinguishes established policy positions and government actions from proposals that would need to be confirmed in each party's final 2026 manifesto. ## 1. The main parties compared | Party | Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | Approach to racial discrimination | | --- | --- | --- | | National | Emphasises equal citizenship and a common legal framework. Its government removed or changed several Treaty-related provisions and Māori-specific institutional arrangements. | Favours a stronger emphasis on equal treatment and services based on need, rather than ethnicity-specific approaches in some policy areas. | | ACT New Zealand | Wants a narrower, legislatively defined interpretation of Treaty principles. Opposes co-governance arrangements and supports removing special legal or political distinctions based on ancestry. | Places individual equality before the law at the centre of its approach; argues that race-based preferences and separate frameworks are discriminatory. | | New Zealand First | Emphasises one nation, equal citizenship and a more restrictive role for Treaty principles in contemporary governance. | Opposes what it considers preferential treatment based on race, and advocates public services based on need rather than ethnicity. | | Labour | Supports honouring Te Tiriti and opposes attempts to narrow its meaning. Has supported co-governance and Māori-specific institutions, though it is more cautious than the Greens and Te Pāti Māori on constitutional change. | Supports targeted responses to Māori disadvantage and restoring explicit Treaty obligations in areas where the current government removed them. | | Green Party | Treats Te Tiriti as foundational to government, supporting partnership, Māori decision-making and stronger Treaty obligations. | Emphasises structural and institutional racism, equity-focused public services, Māori self-determination and protections for Indigenous rights. | | Te Pāti Māori | Seeks fundamental constitutional change grounded in Te Tiriti, tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake. Wants stronger legal accountability for the Crown. | Focuses on systemic anti-Māori discrimination, Māori-led services and transferring decision-making power and resources to Māori communities. | These are broad distinctions, not claims that every policy of each party follows a single philosophy. The descriptions reflect published party positions and the 2026 policy comparison, including the parties' different approaches to Treaty principles, Māori representation and public services. [Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026](https://whichparty.nz/topics/treaty)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/te-ao-maori)[Where political parties stand on Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://thespinoff.nz/atea/25-08-2026/where-political-parties-stand-on-te-tiriti-o-waitangi)[Policy](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026) ## 2. What those differences mean in practice ### Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Treaty principles The central question is whether Treaty principles should continue to guide legislation, public institutions and the Crown's relationship with Māori — and how broadly those principles should be interpreted. - National, ACT and New Zealand First: Their recent governing approach has sought to reduce or constrain the role of Treaty-based provisions in some laws and institutions. ACT's Treaty Principles Bill proposed defining the principles in legislation. The bill was rejected at its second reading on 10 April 2025 by 112 votes to 11; it did not become law. [A Treaty Principles Bill](https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/key-initiatives/a-treaty-principles-bill/)[New Zealand parliament rejects controversial indigenous law](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-parliament-rejects-controversial-indigenous-law-2025-04-10/) - Labour: Opposes narrowing Treaty obligations and has campaigned in 2026 to restore explicit Te Tiriti obligations removed by the current government, including in education. [Where political parties stand on Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://thespinoff.nz/atea/25-08-2026/where-political-parties-stand-on-te-tiriti-o-waitangi)[Luxon Government can no longer mask racism in education reforms](https://www.greens.org.nz/luxon_government_can_no_longer_mask_racism_in_education_reforms) - Greens: Says Te Tiriti should be honoured throughout government policy and regards it as a foundation for addressing inequity and restoring the Crown–Māori relationship. [Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://www.greens.org.nz/te_tiriti_o_waitangi)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026) - Te Pāti Māori: Wants Treaty obligations made more durable across changes of government. Its published policy proposes an independent Te Tiriti commission, binding Waitangi Tribunal recommendations, implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and support for Māori-led constitutional development. [Policy](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy) An important distinction: opposing a particular interpretation of Treaty principles is not the same as opposing the existence of Te Tiriti or all Treaty obligations. Parties disagree over what honouring the agreement requires in modern law and governance. ### Māori–Crown relations, co-governance and representation This is where the constitutional differences become concrete. - National, ACT and New Zealand First place greater emphasis on common institutions and democratic decision-making through conventional government structures. The coalition government's policy record includes removing co-governance features from its water reforms and disestablishing the Māori Health Authority. ACT has also advocated abolishing the Māori electorates; New Zealand First has promoted a referendum on their future. [Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026](https://whichparty.nz/topics/treaty)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/te-ao-maori)[Where political parties stand on Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://thespinoff.nz/atea/25-08-2026/where-political-parties-stand-on-te-tiriti-o-waitangi) - Labour has previously established co-governance arrangements and the Māori Health Authority. Its position recognises that Treaty obligations can require specific Māori participation, although it has not embraced all of Te Pāti Māori's proposed constitutional reforms. [Where political parties stand on Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://thespinoff.nz/atea/25-08-2026/where-political-parties-stand-on-te-tiriti-o-waitangi) - The Greens support stronger Māori participation and Treaty-based partnership in decision-making. Their approach links Māori authority with wider democratic, environmental and social reforms. [Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://www.greens.org.nz/te_tiriti_o_waitangi)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026) - Te Pāti Māori goes further, advocating constitutional transformation that recognises Māori political authority and rangatiratanga, including Māori-led governance in health, education and justice. [Policy](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy) Co-governance can mean quite different things depending on the institution. It might involve shared oversight of a particular resource, Māori representation on a statutory body, or a broader constitutional arrangement. A party's position on one model does not automatically establish its position on every other model. ### Racial discrimination, equity and Māori-specific services The parties differ partly because they diagnose unequal outcomes differently and disagree over which remedies are fair. National, ACT and New Zealand First tend to stress equal treatment of individuals, opposition to racial preferences, and public services allocated according to need. Their argument is that ethnicity should not determine a person's rights or access to public resources. ACT places particular emphasis on equal individual rights under the law. [Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026](https://whichparty.nz/topics/treaty)[What would Act in government mean for co-governance and the Treaty?](https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/05-09-2023/what-would-act-in-government-mean-for-co-governance-and-the-treaty) Labour accepts the case for targeted measures to improve Māori outcomes, including in health and education. Its approach allows Māori-specific initiatives where these address disadvantage or reflect Treaty obligations, without proposing the degree of constitutional transformation sought by Te Pāti Māori. [Where political parties stand on Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://thespinoff.nz/atea/25-08-2026/where-political-parties-stand-on-te-tiriti-o-waitangi)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/te-ao-maori) The Greens place greater emphasis on structural racism: the idea that institutional rules, historical dispossession and unequal access to power can produce persistent racial inequalities even without explicitly discriminatory intentions. Their policy approach links Treaty obligations with equity, Māori participation and culturally appropriate services. [Te Tiriti o Waitangi](https://www.greens.org.nz/te_tiriti_o_waitangi)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026) Te Pāti Māori places systemic anti-Māori discrimination and the restoration of Māori authority at the centre of its approach. It advocates Māori-led institutions and services, stronger Crown accountability, and greater Māori control over decisions affecting Māori communities. [Policy](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy) There is also an important legal distinction: treating everyone identically is not necessarily the same as ensuring everyone has equal access or outcomes. Supporters of targeted Māori services argue that these can address documented disadvantages and give effect to Treaty obligations. Critics argue that some ethnicity-specific policies create unjustified distinctions between citizens. Whether a particular measure constitutes unlawful discrimination depends on its design and the applicable law, not simply on whether it mentions ethnicity. ## 3. What about racism against Māori and other groups? It helps to separate three related questions: - Direct racial discrimination: Unfair treatment because of someone's race or ethnicity, such as in employment, housing or access to services. - Institutional or systemic discrimination: Whether rules and practices create persistent disadvantages for particular groups, including Māori. - Indigenous rights and Treaty obligations: Whether Māori have rights and forms of authority arising from Te Tiriti and their status as tangata whenua, beyond the general protections against racial discrimination that apply to everyone. The parties' differences are most pronounced on the second and third questions. The major parties broadly operate within New Zealand's existing anti-discrimination framework, but they differ over how actively government should address structural inequalities and whether Treaty obligations justify distinct institutions or decision-making processes. International scrutiny is relevant here. In December 2025, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination raised concerns about Māori rights, land, hate speech and the effects of government reforms. This was the committee's assessment of New Zealand's compliance with its international obligations, rather than a finding that every contested government policy was unlawful. [UN sounds alarm on NZ racism and Māori rights](https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2025/12/07/un-sounds-alarm-on-nz-racism-and-maori-rights/) ## 4. How to compare the parties against your own priorities These are useful questions to ask when reading their 2026 manifestos: - Treaty interpretation: Should Treaty principles be expressly included in more legislation, or should their scope be narrowed and defined more strictly? - Crown accountability: Should Waitangi Tribunal recommendations remain advisory in general, or should more of them become binding? - Representation: Should Māori electorates and Māori participation in public institutions be protected or expanded, or should these arrangements be reduced or reconsidered? - Public services: Should Māori-specific services and targeted funding be expanded to address disparities, or should provision be more consistently based on individual need regardless of ethnicity? - Racial discrimination: Should government focus mainly on equal treatment under common rules, or also change institutional practices and power structures that may produce unequal outcomes? - Constitutional change: Should New Zealand's constitutional arrangements evolve further to recognise tino rangatiratanga, or should authority remain primarily with Parliament and existing democratic institutions? ## 5. Where to check the latest 2026 policies The election is scheduled for 7 November 2026, so it is worth checking the latest published commitments rather than relying solely on older coalition agreements or parliamentary votes. [Candidate and party lists released](https://elections.nz/media-and-news/2026/candidate-and-party-lists-released)[The main parties vying to form New Zealand's next government](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/main-parties-vying-form-new-zealands-next-government-2026-10-12/) - [Policy.nz — 2026 election policy comparison](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/te-ao-maori): Compare policies on Te Tiriti, Māori representation, language, land and services. - [Te Pāti Māori — official policies](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy): Read its proposals for Treaty entrenchment and Māori-led institutions. - [Green Party — 2026 manifesto](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026): Read its published commitments and Māori manifesto. - [Ministry of Justice — Treaty Principles Bill](https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/key-initiatives/a-treaty-principles-bill/): Check the official record of the bill and its rejection in Parliament. In summary: National, ACT and New Zealand First place greater emphasis on equal citizenship, common institutions and limiting ethnicity-specific distinctions. Labour supports Treaty obligations and targeted Māori initiatives within the existing constitutional framework. The Greens place stronger emphasis on structural equity and Treaty partnership, while Te Pāti Māori advocates more fundamental constitutional change and Māori self-determination. The key question is not simply which parties support equality or oppose racism. It is what they believe equality requires, what legal and political status they give Te Tiriti, and how much decision-making authority Māori should exercise in relation to the Crown. **End captured answer** ## Gemini · asked nationally Answer ID: 28da020c-967c-4c63-a12d-86a4cd70237a. Captured 16 October 2026. **Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified** For the New Zealand general election, the debate over **Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi), Māori-Crown relations, and racial discrimination** has emerged as one of the most polarizing and defining policy battlegrounds. New Zealand political parties present sharply contrasting visions, dividing generally into two ideological camps: those favoring a constitutional framework centered on partnership and co-governance, and those advocating for a "one law for all" model based on individual citizenship and parliamentary supremacy. --- ### 1. National, ACT, and New Zealand First (The Coalition Government) The parties of the governing coalition generally push back against what they characterize as "separatism" or race-based policy frameworks, emphasizing instead equal individual citizenship and the sovereignty of Parliament. * **Te Tiriti o Waitangi & Legislation:** The coalition has systematically reviewed and amended legislation to scale back explicit Treaty references, often replacing broad obligations with weaker phrasing like "take into account" or removing references entirely. This follows past debates around the ACT-promoted Treaty Principles Bill. * **Māori-Crown Relations:** The government has pursued policies aimed at curbing race-based distinctions in public service delivery, removing diversity quotas in government procurement, tightening criteria around customary marine and coastal (takutai moana) rights, and introducing local referendums for the establishment of Māori wards on local councils. * **Racial Discrimination / "One Law for All":** ACT champions a strict "one law for all" framework, asserting that public policy and government funding should be allocated purely on the basis of individual *need* rather than race or ethnicity. New Zealand First similarly rejects linking modern socio-economic challenges or criminal offending directly to historical colonisation, arguing that such a focus detracts from individual accountability and achievement. --- ### 2. Labour, the Green Party, and Te Pāti Māori (The Left / Indigenous Bloc) Parties on the left and the Māori-led party advocate for the active protection and enhancement of Te Tiriti as a founding constitutional document, viewing partnership and equity as vital to addressing systemic inequities. * **Te Tiriti o Waitangi & Constitutional Reform:** Labour has campaigned on reversing the current government's rollbacks—pledging to restore explicit Treaty clauses into areas like education and environmental management (such as the Resource Management Act). The Green Party and Te Pāti Māori go further, advocating for broad constitutional transformation (drawing on frameworks like *Matike Mai Aotearoa*), with Te Pāti Māori calling for an independent Te Tiriti commissioner and making the Māori text of Te Tiriti authoritative in law. * **Māori-Crown Relations:** These parties support strengthening Māori self-determination (*rangatiratanga*) and co-governance arrangements. They back resourcing the Waitangi Tribunal (including granting it stronger or binding powers) and utilizing targeted, Māori-led health, education, and social service delivery to close persistent equity gaps. * **Racial Discrimination:** Parties in this bloc frame many race-neutral policies ("one law for all") as a form of institutional racism that effectively strips away indigenous rights and ignores historical and structural disadvantages. They emphasize that equity requires distinct provisions to protect Māori culture, language (*te reo*), and customary rights. --- ### Summary Comparison | Party Bloc | View on Te Tiriti & Co-Governance | Approach to Public Policy & Race | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **National, ACT, NZ First** | Parliament is supreme; skeptical of co-governance; favors scaling back explicit Treaty references in law. | Focus on individual equality ("one law for all"); funding and support based strictly on individual need, not ethnicity. | | **Labour, Greens, Te Pāti Māori** | Te Tiriti is a partnership; advocates for co-governance, constitutional transformation, and strengthening Māori institutions. | Focus on equity and systemic justice; utilizing targeted, culturally specific initiatives to address historical and modern disparities. | **End captured answer** ## Google AI Mode · asked nationally Answer ID: 2440316f-2e2d-427c-8a42-43f36a68fb95. Captured 16 October 2026. **Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified** Approaches to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori-Crown relations, and the framework of racial equity and civil rights represent some of the most distinct ideological divides among New Zealand political parties for the 2026 general election. An analysis published by The Spinoff details how the parties articulate these positions, grouped below by their policy platforms and parliamentary stances: * * **ACT New Zealand** * **Te Tiriti & Māori-Crown Relations:** ACT rejects the concept of an ongoing legal or constitutional partnership between Māori and the Crown, arguing instead for parliamentary sovereignty and the legal principle of "one law for all". The party championed the Treaty Principles Bill to legally redefine the principles of the Treaty around individual civic equality rather than partnership. * **Racial Discrimination:** ACT frames race-based or ethnicity-based prioritization in public services, health allocations, or procurement as institutional division. They advocate removing explicit ethnic targets or quotas across public bodies in favor of need-blind, universal individual access. * **New Zealand First** * **Te Tiriti & Māori-Crown Relations:** New Zealand First opposes co-governance arrangements and the expansion of undefined Treaty principles into public administration and local government. The party emphasizes a unitary state where public service delivery is driven by individual socioeconomic need rather than ethnic identity. * **Racial Discrimination:** NZ First aligns with a "one New Zealand" approach, stating that special provisions or public distinctions based on race undermine civic equality and social cohesion. * **New Zealand National Party** * **Te Tiriti & Māori-Crown Relations:** National balances its commitment to recognizing Te Tiriti and settling historical grievances with a focus on Crown sovereignty and equal civic rights. Within the coalition framework, National has supported revisions to remove or standardize references to Treaty principles across multiple pieces of legislation, while ultimately declining to support ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill past its initial reading stage. * **Racial Discrimination:** National's stated position emphasizes equal citizenship and reducing race-based metrics in public funding prioritization (such as in health delivery), aiming instead to target public resources based on measurable social need. [The Spinoff] * **New Zealand Labour Party** * **Te Tiriti & Māori-Crown Relations:** Labour supports the framework of Te Tiriti as a founding document establishing a partnership between the Crown and Māori. The party opposes what it characterizes as the systematic dismantling of Treaty obligations, criticizing recent legislative changes by the coalition government to alter or remove Treaty clauses from public acts, and campaigns on restoring explicit statutory duties. * **Racial Discrimination:** Labour approaches racial discrimination through a lens of equity, defending targeted measures or specific health and social initiatives designed to close systemic disparities faced by Māori as legitimate and necessary remedies. * **Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand** * **Te Tiriti & Māori-Crown Relations:** The Greens advocate for a formal constitutional partnership based on an authoritative Māori text of Te Tiriti. They support binding powers for the Waitangi Tribunal, the return of indigenous lands, and embedding Te Tiriti at the core of all environmental and resource management legislation. * **Racial Discrimination:** The Greens view institutional racism as a pervasive driver of inequality in New Zealand. They support proactive, race-conscious "special measures" and structural policy transformations to dismantle systemic barriers and advance indigenous self-determination. * **Te Pāti Māori** * **Te Tiriti & Māori-Crown Relations:** Te Pāti Māori campaigns for total constitutional transformation centered on Matike Mai (an independent constitutional framework based on rangatiratanga and iwi/hapū sovereignty). Their platform includes making the Waitangi Tribunal’s recommendations binding on the Crown and enforcing mandatory Te Tiriti impact statements across all government legislation. * **Racial Discrimination:** Te Pāti Māori asserts that institutional racism is embedded within the current colonial state apparatus. They advocate for independent Māori-led institutions, justice systems, and health authorities as essential structural remedies to achieve true equity and end systemic discrimination. **End captured answer** ## Publication and corrections Published and funded by Onsomble Limited. NZBrands.ai takes no view on any party or policy. [Independence](https://nzbrands.ai/about/independence/) · [Corrections](https://nzbrands.ai/about/corrections/) · [Contact](https://nzbrands.ai/about/contact/)