Apr 10, 2026
Water services under new management: regional entities, iwi partnerships, and the end of local control.
Across New Zealand, new water service entities are being established under the Government’s “Local Water Done Well” framework, marking a significant shift in how water services are owned, controlled, and politically overseen.
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Apr 10, 2026
The coalition agreement between National and NZ First committed to reviewing all legislation referencing “Treaty principles,” with the aim of replacing or repealing those references.
The Government established a ministerial oversight group and expert advisory panel to carry out the review.
A list of 23 laws was identified as being in scope, and the review was expected to be completed by August 2025.
Since that timeframe passed, there has been little to no public update or visible progress.
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Apr 10, 2026
See more posted on the Democracy Action Facebook page
National Walking Away From Its Co-Governance Promises
Michael Laws interviews the NZ Taxpayers’ Union CEO Jordan Williams about the government’s broken promise of no co-governance of public services. VIEW HERE
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Mar 14, 2026
The Medical Council is consulting on draft statements on Cultural Competence, Cultural Safety, and Hauora Māori – consultation closes 24 March.
While respectful patient care is essential, parts of the drafts embed contested political ideas beyond clinical practice.
Proposals require doctors to affirm beliefs about colonialism, privilege, or power structures.
Doctors would be required to monitor and report colleagues’ perceived biases.
Professional regulation should focus on patient care and competence, not political or activist advocacy.
Make a submission: even a short note supporting respectful care while raising concerns about ideological overreach can help.
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Mar 14, 2026
The Taupō Council’s Draft Joint Management Agreement would hand the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board unprecedented influence over local decisions. From planning and enforcement to resource consents, powers normally held by elected councillors would be subject to shared decision-making.
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Mar 14, 2026
While the Māori seats were historically a tool for inclusion, they now institutionalise separatism, unequal treatment, and electoral distortions. Abolishing them would better align with MMP's core principle of proportional, equal representation for all citizens, promote national unity, eliminate overhang risks, and remove ethnicity-based privileges—allowing New Zealand's democracy to operate on principles of equality, fairness and shared citizenship.
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