Labour Māori Policy — Treaty Principles, Co-Governance and Māori Authority
The Policy: Labour Treaty Principles Bill Speech — April 2025 →
TL;DR
- Labour takes the opposite side to the current National-led government on Māori and Treaty issues. It treats Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) as a living founding document and supports "co-governance" — arrangements where the government and Māori share decision-making.
- Labour helped vote down ACT's Treaty Principles Bill, which tried to redefine the Treaty's principles. The bill was defeated heavily, 112 votes to 11, in April 2025. Labour leader Chris Hipkins called it "a grubby little bill."
- When last in government, Labour created Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, which the current government has since scrapped. Labour supports the idea of a Māori-led health body in principle.
- Labour opposed the government removing protections for Māori wards (reserved Māori seats) on local councils, and campaigned to keep them in the 2025 local referendums.
- Labour is contesting all seven Māori electorate seats in 2026 and has recruited new candidates to try to win them.
- As of mid-2026, Labour had not released a detailed Māori policy for the 2026 election, and Hipkins' early-2026 major speech focused on "Jobs, Health, Homes" rather than Treaty issues.
More detail
Labour positions itself as a middle ground. Its Māori caucus co-leader Willie Jackson has admitted that opponents "successfully" convinced part of the public that co-governance amounts to a "Māori take-over," which Labour has found hard to counter. Labour tries to distinguish itself from Te Pāti Māori's more far-reaching ideas — such as a Treaty Commissioner with power to block laws — while still backing Treaty partnership.
Labour's relationship with Te Pāti Māori is complicated heading into the election. Most polls suggest Labour would need Te Pāti Māori's support to form a government, yet Labour is competing against it for the same Māori seats. Hipkins has said he won't support a Treaty Commissioner that could overturn laws, but is open to other constitutional "checks and balances."
The independent Waitangi Tribunal found the government fell short of its Treaty obligations in how it scrapped the Māori Health Authority — something Labour continues to raise. Key things to watch are whether Labour releases a formal Māori policy (including any promise to restore the Māori Health Authority) and the results in the seven Māori seats at the 7 November 2026 election.
Full Detail if you want to know more
Labour Māori Policy — Treaty, Co-Governance and Māori Authority
The Policy: Labour Treaty Principles Bill Speech — April 2025 →
Labour sits in clear opposition to the current National-led coalition government's approach to Māori and Treaty issues. The party defends Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a living constitutional document, supports co-governance arrangements as consistent with Treaty partnership, and committed — while in government — to structures like Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority) that have since been dismantled. Labour's defining act in opposition on this front was its role in the decisive 112-11 defeat of ACT's Treaty Principles Bill in April 2025, with leader Chris Hipkins calling it "a grubby little bill, born of a grubby little deal" and "forever a stain on our country."
The National-led coalition has moved in the opposite direction: abolishing the Māori Health Authority in 2024, reversing Māori ward protections in local government, and supporting the Treaty Principles Bill to its first reading before National withdrew its support. These rollbacks define the battleground Labour is contesting.
What it does:
- Opposes the Treaty Principles Bill — Labour voted unanimously against the ACT-sponsored bill at both its first and second readings, with Hipkins framing Te Tiriti as "a living promise" not reducible to ACT's three-principle rewrite
- Supports Māori Health Authority restoration in principle — when in government Labour established Te Aka Whai Ora under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022; Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall has said the coalition's approach "sidelines Māori leadership" in health
- Defends Māori wards in local government — Labour MPs including Kieran McAnulty called the coalition's reversal of Māori ward protections "utterly shameful" and campaigned in favour of Māori wards in the 2025 local referendums
- Supports Māori-led approaches — Hipkins articulated a "by-Māori, for-Māori" framing in his April 2025 speech, promising partnership over top-down Crown solutions and removing government barriers to Māori self-determination
- Contests all seven Māori electorates for 2026 — Labour has recruited new candidates including environmental lawyer Tāwhiao McMaster (Te Tai Hauāuru) and Ngāi Tahu leader Mananui Ramsden (Te Tai Tonga), positioning for a Māori seat sweep
Where things stand:
Labour's opposition record on Māori issues has been consistent but tested by a difficult messaging environment. Māori caucus co-leader Willie Jackson acknowledged in late 2024 that David Seymour and Christopher Luxon had "successfully transitioned a section of the New Zealand public into thinking that [co-governance] is all part of a Māori take-over." Jackson positioned Labour as the pragmatic centre — distinguishing itself from Te Pāti Māori's more radical proposals (such as a Treaty Commissioner with power to veto legislation) while remaining committed to Treaty partnership and co-governance in principle.
The Waitangi Tribunal found the Crown failed to meet its Treaty obligations in the manner the Māori Health Authority was disestablished, giving Labour ongoing grounds to criticise the government on this front. However, Labour has not yet released a detailed Māori policy platform for the 2026 election, with Hipkins' February 2026 State of the Nation address focusing on "Jobs, Health, Homes" without direct Treaty or Māori-specific content.
Labour's relationship with Te Pāti Māori (TPM) is complex heading into 2026. Most polling shows Labour would need TPM to form a government, yet Labour is simultaneously contesting TPM-held Māori seats. Hipkins has said he will not support TPM's bottom-line demand for a Te Tiriti Commissioner with powers to overturn legislation, but indicated openness to stronger constitutional "checks and balances." Internal TPM turmoil — including court-disputed MP expulsions — has created electoral opportunity Labour is actively pursuing.
What to watch:
- Whether Labour releases a formal Māori policy document ahead of the 2026 election, including any explicit commitment to restore the Māori Health Authority
- Outcomes of the seven Māori electorate contests and whether Labour–TPM coalition talks result in agreed policy on co-governance or a Treaty Commissioner
This overview is summarised by AI from public sources. It may contain errors and is a guide, not the definitive record — we welcome corrections.
Where our research raises a question the policy doesn't answer, we put it to you — these are our questions, not government policy. Your vote stays anonymous even when you sign up (we use sign-up only to send you more things to vote on that you care about), and we report aggregated results only — the country's sentiment, never how any individual voted.
Key milestones
Labour establishes Te Aka Whai Ora — Māori Health Authority
The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act comes into effect, creating the dedicated Māori Health Authority (Te Aka Whai Ora) to address persistent Māori health inequities. The Waitangi Tribunal had previously found the Crown was breaching its Treaty obligations by failing to act on these disparities.
Coalition disestablishes Māori Health Authority
The National-led coalition government formally abolishes Te Aka Whai Ora, transferring its functions to the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand. The Waitangi Tribunal finds the Crown failed to meet its Treaty obligations in how the disestablishment was handled. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori issue a rare joint dissenting view in the select committee report.
Treaty Principles Bill passes first reading; Hīkoi draws tens of thousands
ACT's Treaty Principles Bill passes its first reading 68-54, with National and NZ First supporting it to a select committee. Labour and opposition parties vote against. The Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protest march from Cape Reinga and Bluff converges on Wellington on 19 November with tens of thousands of marchers in one of New Zealand's largest ever protests. The select committee receives over 300,000 submissions, with 90 percent opposing the bill.
Treaty Principles Bill defeated 112-11 at second reading
Parliament votes not to progress the Treaty Principles Bill by 112 votes to 11 — only ACT supports it. Labour leader Chris Hipkins calls it 'a grubby little bill, born of a grubby little deal' and 'forever a stain on our country.' Labour MP Willie Jackson is ejected from Parliament during the fiery debate. Opposition MPs and public gallery supporters stand and sing waiata after the result is announced.
Labour targets all seven Māori seats ahead of 2026 election
Labour confirms it will contest all seven Māori electorates, recruiting high-profile candidates including Ngāi Tahu leader Mananui Ramsden and environmental lawyer Tāwhiao McMaster. Hipkins says Labour will compete 'vigorously' in Māori electorates, creating tension with its likely need for Te Pāti Māori to form a government. Internal TPM turmoil over unlawful MP expulsions creates electoral openings.
Sources
- Chris Hipkins speech: Treaty Principles Bill second reading — Labour.org.nz ↗
- Treaty Principles Bill — Wikipedia ↗
- Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) — Wikipedia ↗
- Willie Jackson decries coalition and Treaty Principles Bill at Labour Party annual conference — RNZ ↗
- The fight for Te Pāti Māori voters has begun — The Spinoff ↗
- Reversal of Māori wards 'utterly shameful', says Labour MP Kieran McAnulty — RNZ ↗
- RNZ — How the coalition plans to replace the Māori Health Authority ↗
- 1News — Treaty Principles Bill voted down amid fiery MP debate ↗