# Māori whānau balancing costs, services and Treaty questions

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 5 · Voter profiles · S19

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.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5#situations)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 6 |
| answers collected | 24 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked nationally | NZ |

## What this voter asked

### Question 99: Cost of living

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. What are parties proposing that could help a working whānau with household costs?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/640a05c3-f6c5-4080-848d-fecf8c2caeb9.md)

### Question 100: Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations

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 differ on Te Tiriti obligations and Māori participation in public decisions?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/8c5c1733-66f8-40a9-bf0e-61be2b4fc65f.md)

### Question 101: Healthcare

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. What are parties proposing about Māori health outcomes and access to care, and how do their approaches differ?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/032b9874-8e93-4d73-892a-8cb45bcb1f32.md)

### Question 102: Education and childcare

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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/7648a77e-8c2f-435c-8b98-8f6aa9499d79.md)

### Question 103: Democratic institutions and rights

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 Māori and general electorates work, and does my choice of roll change the parties I can give my party vote to?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/f35f921b-d6c9-4380-b8eb-14484d0b49ce.md)

### Question 104: Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations

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 would you help me choose a party while weighing both household finances and Te Tiriti, without assuming my ethnicity tells you my political views?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/7c4839d3-6155-4591-a8cd-65988e8719c3.md)

## Which parties appeared in the answers

The figures count names in the 24 answers recorded for this situation. Naming a party does not mean recommending it.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 18 | 24 |
| Labour | 19 | 24 |
| Greens | 18 | 24 |
| ACT | 18 | 24 |
| NZ First | 16 | 24 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 18 | 24 |
| TOP | 3 | 24 |

## Party names across this voter’s topics

Each row is one of this voter's topics. Each column is a party. The figure shows how often the party was named in the answers.

This table shows the answers recorded on 23 October. The coloured bars summarise how statements about each party were assessed; select a figure to read the extracts.

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | National | 4 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 1 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Labour | 4 | 4 | 16 | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| Cost of living | Greens | 4 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| Cost of living | ACT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | TOP | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | National | 6 | 8 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | Labour | 7 | 8 | 2 | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | Greens | 6 | 8 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | ACT | 6 | 8 | 2 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | NZ First | 6 | 8 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | Te Pāti Māori | 6 | 8 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | TOP | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Healthcare | National | 4 | 4 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| Healthcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | ACT | 4 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | TOP | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Education and childcare | National | 4 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| Education and childcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | ACT | 4 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | NZ First | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 5 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | TOP | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Democratic institutions and rights | National | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Labour | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Greens | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | ACT | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | NZ First | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | TOP | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## How the main answer changed

The whānau answer kept six parties and offered different choices depending on household costs and Te Tiriti priorities. It asked which expenses mattered most.

It also returned to a specific family-payment figure. That figure needs its own check, and the person's Māori identity does not establish a preference for any party.

Gemini: “* **Te Pāti Māori:** Has campaigned on its "Kiwi Tax Plan," which proposes a $30,000 tax-free income threshold to put more cash directly into the pockets of lower- and middle-income earners.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/640a05c3-f6c5-4080-848d-fecf8c2caeb9.md) · Answer ID: f762cae1-2d04-460a-a101-5e92b2ade2ff

Gemini: “*   **New Zealand First:** Proposes a major cost-of-living policy featuring a **$120-a-week increase to Working for Families** payments for working households, alongside an inflation-proofed minimum wage.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/640a05c3-f6c5-4080-848d-fecf8c2caeb9.md) · Answer ID: fb23ab0c-ea3f-4b55-a143-132527fd0e1a

## The sources behind these answers

The websites recorded with each assistant’s answers for this voter. Choose a topic to see its sources.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| elections.nz | 2 |
| maoriparty.org.nz | 2 |
| partymap.co.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| salient.org.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| teaonews.co.nz | 2 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 2 |
| act.org.nz | 1 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| partymap.co.nz | 3 |
| whichparty.nz | 3 |
| apex.org.nz | 2 |
| waateanews.com | 2 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 1 |
| govt.nz | 1 |
| greens.org.nz | 1 |
| healthcoalition.org.nz | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |
| national.org.nz | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| policy.nz | 5 |
| rnz.co.nz | 4 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| teaonews.co.nz | 2 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| kpmg.com | 1 |
| national.org.nz | 1 |
| theconversation.com | 1 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| facebook.com | 6 |
| whichparty.nz | 5 |
| policy.nz | 4 |
| rnz.co.nz | 4 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 4 |
| teaonews.co.nz | 3 |
| theconversation.com | 3 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| national.org.nz | 2 |

Sources count once per answer. Source lists were recorded for 24 of this voter’s 24 answers. Visible links are counted separately. Other websites include unclassified publishers.

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