Te Pāti Māori 2026 Policies: Key Issues for Democracy and Equal Citizenship

Te Pāti Māori’s 2026 election policies include significant proposals for constitutional and institutional change. Its policies would strengthen Māori political authority and governance.

The policies below highlight proposals with implications for equal citizenship, democratic accountability, the rule of law, and the distribution of political power.

·      Entrenchment of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the constitution
Te Pāti Māori proposes entrenching Te Tiriti and pursuing a longer-term "complete constitutional overhaul".

·      A complete constitutional overhaul by 2040. Provide $220 million over four years for a Māori-led constitutional transformation process, including a Māori Constitutional Convention and further constitutional working groups and discussions. Its stated destination includes a national framework to implement UNDRIP, binding Tribunal recommendations, and enforceable mechanisms to prevent serious Crown breaches of Te Tiriti.

·      Establish an independent Te Tiriti Commission with power to stop or suspend Government decisions: The Commission would be able to investigate Crown decisions and, where it finds a serious breach of Te Tiriti, issue compliance orders stopping or suspending executive decisions. Government would have to go to the High Court to challenge such an order.

·      Expanded powers for the Waitangi Tribunal: The proposal would amend the Treaty of Waitangi Act and Constitution Act so that Waitangi Tribunal recommendations became binding on the Crown, with implementation timeframes and judicial enforcement where necessary.

·      Mana motuhake - strengthen Māori political authority and governance structures. “Mana motuhake means power must return to where it belongs: with tangata whenua, hapū, iwi, whānau, and our people.”

·      Progress land back and rangatiratanga commitments under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

·      Freshwater policy: Assert Māori rights and authority over freshwater. Stop decisions being made without Māori consent.

·      Build Māori-led justice authority and community solutions

Read more at Te Pāti Māori Policies

Media coverage

Stuff: Te Pāti Māori says major constitutional reform a ‘bottom line’ for coalition deals

Te Ao Māori News: Te Pāti Māori’s Te Tiriti entrenchment plan: How would it work, and could it happen?