Compare the parties.

Party proposal

ACT would end the Waitangi Tribunal's contemporary jurisdiction, retain historical claims lodged by 1 September 2008 and disestablish the Tribunal once that work finishes. It also proposes adding property-rights protections to the Bill of Rights Act, with claims against the Crown pursued through ordinary courts.

Who it covers

Historical Treaty claimants, people raising contemporary Crown grievances, property owners and the Tribunal.

Timing

Closure depends on completing eligible historical claims, with no fixed calendar deadline.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The full paper says funding would reduce with the remaining workload, but quantifies neither savings nor transition costs. The consolidated plan has no separate Tribunal line.

Party proposal

The Greens propose voting from age 16, voting rights for everyone in custody, election-day enrolment, entrenched Māori seats and a constitutional conversation grounded in Te Tiriti. Their September package sets a $30,000 donor cap per party and its candidates per election cycle, individual-only donations, disclosure above $1,000 a year and professional-lobbyist registration with four-monthly reporting and a two-year stand-down for former ministers.

Who it covers

Voters, parties, donors, professional lobbyists and constitutional discussion participants. Ordinary MP contact, submissions, petitions, union bargaining and Treaty settlement negotiations are excluded from the lobbying regime.

Timing

The donation draft would commence after Royal assent and the lobbying draft six months after assent; both require Parliament to enact them. No calendar timetable for the wider voting or constitutional changes is stated.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The manifesto proposes public resourcing for constitutional discussions and campaigns without a total amount. The lobbying draft permits fees and levies on registered lobbyists to fund its commission; no levy rate or programme budget is set.

The bills are consultation drafts, not enacted law. The newer announcement specifies the donor cap that the broader manifesto chapter leaves open.

Party proposal

Labour proposes a Parliamentary Budget Office to independently examine government finances and cost parties’ election commitments on a consistent basis, giving voters information about fiscal trade-offs.

Who it covers

Voters, Parliament and political parties using or scrutinising independent costings.

Timing

The fiscal plan allocates operating funding from 2028/29. The policy does not specify the exact establishment date or whether every service would start then.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The fiscal table provides $3.5m annually in 2028/29–2030/31: $10.5m total, within Labour’s operating allowances.

Party proposal

National would require councils to keep annual rates increases within a 2–4% target range, overseen by an independent regulator. Exemptions would cover exceptional needs or demonstrated prudent financial management, with community consultation required.

Who it covers

Councils and ratepayers; the proposed range includes a minimum increase as well as an upper limit.

Timing

Implementation in 2029, with council transition support.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The reviewed page does not separately cost the regulator or transition support.

Party proposal

NZ First proposes abolishing the Waitangi Tribunal and replacing it with a commission to complete claims from before 2008. It would move contemporary claims and Crown–Māori relations work to the Ministry of Māori Development.

Who it covers

Treaty claimants and the institutions handling Treaty claims, settlements and Crown–Māori relations.

Timing

Legislation tabled within the first 100 days after the election. Tabling legislation is not the same as it becoming law.

Cost & funding stated by the party

No total cost or funding source specified in the reviewed source.

Party proposal

Opportunity proposes a public lobbying register, a one-year cooling-off period between ministerial and lobbying roles, a $30,000 donation cap per party and donor per election cycle, and an independent anti-corruption body.

Who it covers

Professional lobbyists, ministers and senior officials, political parties and donors. The policy would restrict donations to enrolled voters and exclude ordinary contact with an MP from lobbying rules.

Timing

No implementation date specified in the reviewed source.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The party estimates around $52 million annually: $40 million for an anti-corruption body, $10 million for the Electoral Commission and $2 million for policy costing in election years. It says register costs could be met from existing justice budgets.

Party proposal

Opportunity would honour settlements, restore customary marine-title settings from before the 2025 changes, and review statutory Treaty provisions law by law. It would support a national constitutional discussion with Māori participating as a Treaty partner, improve finance options for Māori projects and devolve services where results would improve.

Who it covers

Māori communities and asset owners, Crown agencies and people participating in constitutional discussions. Devolved providers would have operational autonomy alongside financial, rights and outcome accountability.

Timing

September 2026 paper; no implementation dates for the legislative review, constitutional process or devolution programme are stated.

Cost & funding stated by the party

Longer-term funding for proven providers and improved project financing are proposed. The paper does not give a total cost or new annual allocations.

Party proposal

Te Pāti Māori would make Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding and create an independent Te Tiriti Commission able to suspend seriously non-compliant executive decisions, subject to High Court override. It proposes a Mātike Mai Fund and development of a domestic UN Indigenous-rights action plan.

Who it covers

The Crown and Māori communities. The Commission could scrutinise bills and report to Parliament, but would not invalidate Acts of Parliament.

Timing

Restore and resource UNDRIP action-plan development within the first 100 days; constitutional transformation target of 2040. No complete legislative delivery schedule is supplied.

Cost & funding stated by the party

$220m for the Mātike Mai Fund over four years. The paper does not separately state the Commission’s cost or a complete funding reconciliation.