# Māori whānau balancing costs, services and Treaty questions

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 8 · Voter situations · 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/8#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/8/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/8/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/8/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/8/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/8/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/8/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 | 19 | 24 |
| Labour | 19 | 24 |
| Greens | 18 | 24 |
| ACT | 17 | 24 |
| NZ First | 17 | 24 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 18 | 24 |
| TOP | 5 | 24 |

## Party names across this voter’s topics

Compare the parties named in answers about this voter’s main concerns. The table compares 24 answers from each edition.

The coloured bars show whether statements about a party were positive, neutral, negative or mixed. 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 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Labour | 4 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Greens | 3 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | ACT | 3 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| Cost of living | TOP | 1 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0 |

| 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 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 1 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | Labour | 6 | 8 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | Greens | 6 | 8 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | ACT | 6 | 8 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | NZ First | 6 | 8 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | Te Pāti Māori | 6 | 8 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 0 |
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | TOP | 3 | 8 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Healthcare | National | 4 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 1 | 1 |
| Healthcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 7 | 31 | 0 | 2 |
| Healthcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 9 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | ACT | 4 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 0 |
| Healthcare | Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthcare | TOP | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Education and childcare | National | 4 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 1 | 2 |
| Education and childcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| Education and childcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | ACT | 3 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 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 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Labour | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Greens | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | ACT | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | NZ First | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | TOP | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## How Gemini’s answer changed

The Māori household answer kept the same six parties but expanded National’s discussion of supermarket costs and rates. It grouped the Greens and Te Pāti Māori together on tax and welfare.

Earlier percentage allocations for Māori funding and procurement disappeared, leaving that part less specific. These are changes in what the answer covered, rather than evidence that the parties changed their policies.

Gemini: “* **Te Pāti Māori** explicitly centers Te Tiriti o Waitangi, advocating for the transfer of 25% of total health and ACC funding to Māori-led systems, establishing independent Māori authorities, and allocating 25% of all government procurement to Māori businesses and organizations to build autonomous local economies.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/7/questions/640a05c3-f6c5-4080-848d-fecf8c2caeb9.md) · Answer ID: f1ecc413-c2bc-419b-a09d-5b750ef0a55e

Gemini: “For renters and prospective buyers, they propose banning no-cause evictions, limiting rent increases to once every 1,2 months, and expanding First Home Loan caps.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/questions/640a05c3-f6c5-4080-848d-fecf8c2caeb9.md) · Answer ID: 72d403e1-69a9-49d0-813b-6a0788edda53

## Websites cited in these answers

Compare the websites cited in answers for this voter situation. Choose a topic to see its sources.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| labour.org.nz | 4 |
| maoriparty.org.nz | 4 |
| elections.nz | 2 |
| knowyourvote.nz | 2 |
| national.org.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| act.org.nz | 1 |
| ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz | 1 |
| education.govt.nz | 1 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz | 4 |
| waateanews.com | 3 |
| maoriparty.org.nz | 2 |
| partymap.co.nz | 2 |
| buildara.nz | 1 |
| dentalforall.nz | 1 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 1 |
| greens.org.nz | 1 |
| hapaitia.co.nz | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| policy.nz | 5 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| vote.nz | 2 |
| 1news.co.nz | 1 |
| ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz | 1 |
| e-tangata.co.nz | 1 |
| elections.nz | 1 |
| govt.nz | 1 |
| rnz.co.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

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

Each website counts once per answer. The comparison covers 24 answers from each edition; 24 of this edition’s answers included citations. Other includes websites we have not yet classified.

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[Next: Pacific household with children and older relatives](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8/voters/s20)
