New Zealand 2026 election: Te Tiriti, Māori–Crown relations and racial discrimination

The central divide between New Zealand's political parties is what Te Tiriti o Waitangi requires of the Crown today: how much effect it should have on laws and public institutions, whether Māori should have distinct forms of representation or decision-making authority, and how government should address racial inequality.

These debates overlap, but they are not identical. A party might support honouring Treaty settlements while opposing co-governance, or oppose race-based policies while supporting targeted help based on disadvantage.

For the 2026 general election, it is useful to compare parties across three questions:

• Te Tiriti: Should its principles have a stronger role in legislation, public services and government decisions?
• Māori–Crown relations: What should partnership, tino rangatiratanga (Māori self-determination) and Māori representation look like in practice?
• Racial discrimination: Should government use Māori-specific policies to address unequal outcomes, or prioritise equal treatment under common rules?

The distinction between a party's stated principles, its proposed policies and its record in government matters. The comparison below focuses on those differences, while distinguishing established positions from policies that may still change before polling day.

How the main parties differ

The following reflects published positions and policy announcements available as of 18 October 2026. It covers the main parties likely to shape the debate, rather than every registered party.

A guide to the direction of policy, not a ranking of parties.

Labour

Treaty partnership and public-service equity

Labour describes Te Tiriti as a foundational agreement and supports a partnership-based Māori–Crown relationship. It opposes ACT's Treaty Principles Bill and has pledged to restore the legal requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti, as well as stronger Māori leadership in education. Stand Up for Te TiritiRelease: Labour will restore Te Tiriti commitment in schoolsRelease: Labour will partner with Māori in education

• Te Tiriti: Retain and strengthen its role in public institutions.
• Māori–Crown relations: Emphasise consultation, partnership and Māori participation in decisions affecting Māori.
• Discrimination and equity: Supports addressing unequal outcomes through public services and policies responsive to Māori needs.

National

Common institutions, with defined Treaty obligations

National has supported reviewing how Treaty references operate in legislation and has governed alongside ACT and New Zealand First. In 2026, the government has pursued removing some statutory Treaty references and standardising others to require agencies to “take into account” Treaty principles. National has also committed to upholding Treaty settlements and retaining specified forms of iwi participation. Better planning for growth and environmentA Treaty Principles Bill

• Te Tiriti: Favour more clearly defined and specific statutory obligations rather than broad, open-ended references.
• Māori–Crown relations: Retain some iwi participation and settlement arrangements, but place greater emphasis on defined processes and government accountability.
• Discrimination and equity: The governing approach places more emphasis on common public-service frameworks and needs-based provision than on broad Māori-specific institutional arrangements.

ACT

Equal rights under common law and limits on Treaty-based differentiation

ACT argues that all citizens should have equal legal rights regardless of ancestry and that elected government should remain accountable to voters. Its 2026 proposals include adding principles concerning parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law and equality before the law to the Constitution Act. It continues to argue for clearer statutory definitions of Treaty principles. ACT New ZealandACT New ZealandACT New Zealand

• Te Tiriti: Wants its principles more narrowly and explicitly defined in law.
• Māori–Crown relations: Opposes co-governance arrangements that it considers to confer decision-making authority on the basis of ancestry rather than equal democratic representation.
• Discrimination and equity: Favours a colour-blind approach, with public services and opportunities based on individual need rather than ethnicity.

New Zealand First

One law for all and opposition to co-governance

New Zealand First promotes “one people, one law, one flag” and describes its approach as colour-blind. It has explicitly opposed co-governance and race-based distinctions in public institutions. Its current messaging emphasises national unity, common citizenship and opposition to what it calls identity politics. "Power to the People" - Winston Peters - State of the Nation 2026Co-Governance Must Be Stopped Now - Not 2026Winston Peters: “Hope, And A Better Tomorrow”

• Te Tiriti: Resists interpretations that create distinct contemporary political rights or obligations based on ethnicity.
• Māori–Crown relations: Opposes co-governance and favours common democratic institutions.
• Discrimination and equity: Emphasises formal equality and a common set of rules rather than Māori-specific approaches.

Green Party

Strong Treaty obligations and tino rangatiratanga

The Greens oppose efforts to weaken Treaty protections and have criticised the removal or dilution of Treaty references in legislation. Their position places greater emphasis on tino rangatiratanga, Māori participation in decision-making, and addressing structural inequalities. Government announces Treaty Principles Bill by stealthGreen Party differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill

• Te Tiriti: Protect and strengthen its legal and constitutional significance.
• Māori–Crown relations: Support Māori authority, meaningful partnership and Māori-led decision-making.
• Discrimination and equity: Support targeted measures to address systemic racism and unequal outcomes, alongside broader social protections.

Te Pāti Māori

Māori self-determination and enforceable Treaty obligations

Te Pāti Māori advances the strongest constitutional transformation among these parties. Its September 2026 Te Tiriti entrenchment policy proposes an independent Te Tiriti Commission, binding Waitangi Tribunal recommendations, implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and funding for Māori-led constitutional reform. Te Tiriti EntrenchmentTe Pāti Māori is the assertion of our mana motuhake and our liberation

• Te Tiriti: Make the Crown's Treaty obligations legally enforceable and harder for future governments to weaken.
• Māori–Crown relations: Advance tino rangatiratanga and a constitutional arrangement developed with Māori leadership.
• Discrimination and equity: Favour Māori-led solutions and stronger institutional measures addressing the effects of colonisation and systemic disadvantage.

For a cross-party comparison of individual proposals, Policy.nz's 2026 Te ao Māori policy guide covers Treaty principles, Māori representation, te reo Māori, land and resources, and Māori wellbeing. Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026

The biggest policy differences, side by side

Question	Labour	National	ACT / NZ First	Greens / Te Pāti Māori
Treaty principles in law	Preserve and reinforce	Define or narrow some statutory obligations	More explicit limits on Treaty-based differentiation	Strengthen Treaty protections
Co-governance	Supports partnership in relevant settings	Supports specified participation arrangements, not every model	Generally opposes co-governance based on ancestry	Supports stronger Māori decision-making
Māori-specific services	Supports equity-focused provision	More emphasis on common frameworks and defined needs	Favours individual need over ethnicity	Supports targeted and Māori-led provision
Constitutional change	Honour existing Treaty framework	More defined statutory obligations	Common legal and democratic framework	Greater Māori authority and enforceable Crown obligations
Waitangi Tribunal	Retain its role	Retain within the government's chosen framework	ACT proposes winding it up once historical claims are resolved	Te Pāti Māori proposes making its recommendations binding

This is a broad synthesis of party positions, not a claim that every party has a fully published 2026 policy on every row. ACT and NZ First have distinct policies, even where their general approaches overlap. Sources: ACT New ZealandACT New Zealand"Power to the People" - Winston Peters - State of the Nation 2026Release: Labour will restore Te Tiriti commitment in schoolsBetter planning for growth and environmentGovernment announces Treaty Principles Bill by stealthTe Tiriti EntrenchmentPolicies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026

What does the racial discrimination debate actually mean?

One of the most important distinctions is between formal equality and substantive equality.

• Formal equality: Everyone should have the same legal rights and be subject to the same rules. ACT and New Zealand First emphasise this approach.
• Substantive equality: Different groups may need different interventions to achieve genuinely fair outcomes, particularly where historical or systemic disadvantage persists. Labour and the Greens generally give this approach more weight, while Te Pāti Māori puts Māori self-determination at the centre.
• Treaty-based obligations: These concern the Crown's commitments to Māori under Te Tiriti. They are not simply the same question as whether a government should offer an ethnic group preferential treatment.

Supporters of Māori-specific services argue that treating everyone identically can leave existing inequalities unaddressed. Critics argue that some ethnicity-based policies risk unequal treatment or weaken democratic accountability. Those are competing policy arguments; neither should be confused with the legal definition of racial discrimination.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination raised concerns about Māori rights and racial equality in its 2025 review of New Zealand. That provides wider context for assessing how parties propose to meet the country's anti-discrimination obligations. Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Commend New Zealand on Efforts to Welcome Refugees, Ask Questions on Historic Abuse of Persons with Disabilities in State Care and Challenges in Education for the MāoriUN sounds alarm on NZ racism and Māori rights

One important development to know about

The original Treaty Principles Bill, promoted by ACT and supported to the select-committee stage by the coalition government, was defeated at its second reading on 10 April 2025 by 112 votes to 11. It did not become law. A Treaty Principles BillPrinciples of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill

The debate has continued in 2026 through separate government reviews and proposed changes to Treaty references in legislation. National's approach to these changes, ACT's push for further constitutional reform, and opposition from Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are therefore important to distinguish from the original bill itself. ACT New ZealandBetter planning for growth and environmentGovernment announces Treaty Principles Bill by stealth

How to use this comparison when considering your vote

Rather than asking only which party says it supports Te Tiriti, consider three more specific questions:

1. Legal protection: Should Treaty obligations be broad and capable of developing through courts and the Waitangi Tribunal, or explicitly limited by legislation?
2. Decision-making: When decisions affect Māori land, culture, health or education, what level of Māori authority or shared governance should apply?
3. Fairness: Should government primarily use the same rules for everyone, or use targeted interventions where evidence shows particular groups face persistent disadvantage?

Parties can agree on the importance of fairness while disagreeing fundamentally about how to achieve it. These three questions help identify the practical consequences of those differences without reducing the issue to a simple pro- or anti-Māori label.

For the latest policy detail ahead of the 7 November 2026 general election, compare the parties' published commitments directly through Policy.nz and their official policy pages. Their commitments may continue to develop during the campaign.