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 2026Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026Where political parties stand on Te Tiriti o WaitangiPolicyManifesto 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 BillNew Zealand parliament rejects controversial indigenous law
• 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 WaitangiLuxon 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 WaitangiManifesto 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

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 2026Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026Where 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
• 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 WaitangiManifesto 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

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 2026What 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 WaitangiPolicies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026

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 WaitangiManifesto 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

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

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 releasedThe main parties vying to form New Zealand's next government

• Policy.nz — 2026 election policy comparison: Compare policies on Te Tiriti, Māori representation, language, land and services.
• Te Pāti Māori — official policies: Read its proposals for Treaty entrenchment and Māori-led institutions.
• Green Party — 2026 manifesto: Read its published commitments and Māori manifesto.
• Ministry of Justice — 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.