Party vote

Community and inclusion

New Zealand prides itself on its history of egalitarianism, from women's suffrage to marriage equality. But the struggle for fair treatment, recognition and inclusion by marginalised groups continues. In recent years, these struggles have overlapped with debates around the limits and responsibilities of free speech.

Community and inclusion

New Zealand prides itself on its history of egalitarianism, from women's suffrage to marriage equality. But the struggle for fair treatment, recognition and inclusion by marginalised groups continues. In recent years, these struggles have overlapped with debates around the limits and responsibilities of free speech.

Key policiesAnimal welfareDisabilityFree expression and hate speechPasifikaRainbow communitySeniorsWomenYoung people

  • Establish youth military academies for certain young offenders

    Fund community organisations to work with certain young offenders

    Extend free breast cancer screening to those aged up to 74 years

    Create a minister for hunting and fishing

    Allow the Game Animal Council to make more decisions about game animal management

    Recategorise game animals, trout and salmon

    Establish national management plans for game animals

    Oppose recreational licencing system for game animal hunting or sea fishing

    Review game animal management programmes

    Ban mobile phone use in schools

    Allow more genetic editing and genetic modification

    Establish a dedicated biotechnology regulator

    Limit access to free prescriptions to those on low incomes and those over 65

    Fund community providers to support young people who are receiving the Jobseeker Support payment

    Increase sanctions on young people on the benefit for more than three months

    Incentivise young people to get off and stay off Jobseeker Support

    Allow live animal exports

    Maintain the Winter Energy Payment

    Increase superannuation payments annually

    Remove public transport discounts

    Pay bonus to GPs who lift immunisation rates for at-risk age groups

    Ensure meat producers have access to halal butchers

    Increase the retirement age to 67 from 2044

    Develop guidelines for ovarian cancer diagnosis

    Provide free blood sugar monitors to young people with type 1 diabetes

    Extend free postnatal stays from two to three days

    Retain recent vaping reforms

    Increase penalties for supplying vapes to under 18s

    Limit the number of vape stores to 600

    Ban vape products from being visible from the street

  • Provide free primary healthcare to under 30s

    Provide free public transport to under 30s

    Provide a $1500 credit for bikes and e-scooters to under 30s

    Introduce a card and app for citizens and residents up to the age of 30

    Introduce and incentivise a national civic service programme

    Increase income support for disabled people

    Provide free basic mental health care to under 30s

    Provide free dental care to under 30s

    Provide free basic eyecare to under 30s

    Require children to be signed up for Kiwisaver at birth

    Establish a commissioner for future generations

  • Introduce an income guarantee for people unable to work due to health conditions or disabilities

    Review legislation, policy and practice to meet international human rights obligations for children

    Require a children's interests analysis for government policy decisions

    Improve access to social services for children

    Provide free mental health services for children and young people

    Reinstate the Children's Commissioner's independent monitoring powers

    Safeguard the rights of tamariki Māori to maintain connection to their whakapapa

    Increase funding for predator, weed and pest control

    Eradicate pests on the sub-Antarctic Maukahuka Auckland Islands

    Lower the voting age to 16

    Fund advocacy services for people with disabilities

    Co-design accessibility legislation with the disabled community

    Reform the Building Code to promote accessibility

    Require television broadcasters to provide content in accessible formats

    Eliminate the use of seclusion in state care or disability services

    Regulate the vaping industry and ban disposable vapes

    Ensure adequate support for students with disabilities and additional learning needs

    Restore waterways and control freshwater pests

    Ensure equitable representation in government roles

    Reduce social and economic disparities faced by wāhine Māori

    Extend paid parental leave to 15 months

    Support pay equity settlements

    Improve pregnancy care through better funding of midwives and services

    Train healthcare workers to reduce biases

    Expand youth courts and support for youth in the justice system

    Prohibit the detention of young people with adults

    Extend hate speech protections to cover religion, gender, disability, and Rainbow communities

    Extend the Election Access Fund to disabled individuals running in local elections

    Speed up access to support for people with neurodivergent conditions

    Reinstate the 10-year residency requirement for superannuation eligibility

    Support Tagata Moana leadership on climate action

    Repeal the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982

    Replace the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme

    Deliver housing suitable for multi-generational families

    Establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities

    Develop culturally appropriate healthcare for Māori and Pasifika members of the rainbow community

    Allocate funds to organisations supporting the rainbow community

    Promote non-discriminatory access to gender-affirming healthcare

    Support intersex healthcare reform

    Reform policies to support Rainbow asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants

    Ensure public and community housing is suitable for senior citizens

    Provide integrated community health services for the wellbeing of kaumātua

    Increase superannuation payments

    Increase funding for staff in aged care facilities

    Ensure retirement homes reserve a quarter of their housing as affordable rental units

    Develop a long-term strategy for improving dementia care

    Provide equal opportunities for disabled students in tertiary education

    Provide free public transport for young people, students, apprentices, low income earners and people with mobility cards

    Strengthen animal welfare standards

    Create a new Commissioner for Animals

    Resource the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

    Phase out harmful animal-related activities

    Regulate imported animal products

    Protect taonga species in their natural habitats

    Strengthen laws against bullying and harassment in the workplace

    Implement comprehensive pay gap reporting

    Maintain the current retirement age

  • Provide personhood rights to foetuses from conception

    Ban medical abortions and withdraw public funding for abortion services

    Ban assisted dying and prioritise funding for palliative care

    Prohibit changes to a person's gender on birth certificates

    Ban education about gender in schools

    Ban gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapies for young people

    Keep the retirement age at 65

    Protect freedom of speech and assembly

    Hold a referendum on whether to make the Bill of Rights supreme law

    Be a voice for men and masculinity

  • Extend the adult criminal jurisdiction to cover 17-year-olds

    Shift responsibility for young offenders from Oranga Tamariki to Corrections

    Split Oranga Tamariki social workers' responsibilities into two new roles

    Establish a children's monitoring system that is independent from the government

    Abolish the Ministry for Pacific Peoples

    Abolish the Human Rights Commission

    Allow live animal exports

    Introduce publicly-reported performance indicators for the Oranga Tamariki CEO

    Allow caregivers to make more decisions without permission from Oranga Tamariki or birth parents

    Oppose laws against hate speech

    Allow police to issue infringement notices for shoplifting

    Require serious youth offenders to wear ankle bracelets

    Halt contributions to the NZ Super Fund

    Increase the retirement age to 67 and index it to life expectancy

    Index superannuation to the consumer price index rather than average wages

    Abolish the Ministry for Women

    Abolish the Ministry for Ethnic Communities

    Restrict access to the winter energy payment

    Repeal the Treaty of Waitangi clause in the Oranga Tamariki Act

    Restrict access to permanent sickness benefits

    Make it easier for schools to refer students to Oranga Tamariki

    Restrict the Retirement Commission's focus to retirement villages and aging-in-place

    Reverse the ban on over-the-counter pseudoephedrine

  • Retain the current age of eligibility for superannuation

    Fund charity that provides free counselling to young people

    Increase funding for elderly residential care

    Remove education about gender and sexuality from the curriculum

    Require public organisations to install both single sex and unisex toilets

    Defund sports organisations that do not have a category for people assigned female at birth

    Establish a commission of inquiry into Gloriavale

    Allow live animal exports

    Require animal welfare advisory committee to have 50 percent farmer representation

    Increase the number youth aid Police officers

    Introduce a demerit points system for youth offenders

    Provide a rates rebate to people over 65

    Provide seniors with two free doctor visits annually

    Increase the accommodation supplement for seniors

    Develop a seniors housing plan

    Establish a select committee inquiry into aged care

    Pursue cross-party agreement around dementia care

  • Reduce barriers to accessing benefits

    Introduce free public transport for all students

    Create more pathways for school leavers

    Increase diplomatic support for Pasifika leaders

    Establish a Māori accident compensation authority

    Abolish youth justice facilities by 2030

    Raise the age of criminal responsibility to 16

    Establish a Māori child protection agency

    Stop newborns from being put into state care without family, hapū or iwi consent

    Review Oranga Tamariki's child protection protocols

    Establish a Māori disability authority

    Involve Māori disability organisations in policy development

    Increase funding for Māori providers of the Enabling Good Lives programme

    Improve access to health services for disabled people

    Aim to ensure antenatal screening programmes are not biased towards termination if disability is diagnosed

    Require all new houses to be fully accessible

    Make existing public housing fully accessible

    Make Māori sign language an official language

    Increase the number of users of Māori sign-language

    Abolish the minimum wage exemption

    Abolish benefit abatement rates for disabled people and their carers

    Enable Māori disabled people to access cultural spaces and activities

    Enable Māori disabled people to participate in sport

  • Retain current public transport discounts

    Limit the number of vape stores to 600

    Increase penalties for supplying vapes to under 18s

    Continue anti-vaping messaging for young people

    Investigate options to reduce the visibility of vape products in shops

    Continue programme to provide young Māori with a path out of criminal offending

    Provide funding for apprenticeships in digital sector

    Require public reporting on the gender pay gap

    Make apprenticeship support payments for businesses permanent

    Establish a new offence for ram raiding

    Continue national family and sexual violence elimination strategy

    Strengthen legal protections against stalking and harassment

    Increase powers of Corrections staff at youth justice facilities

    Continue reforms of youth justice family group conference system

    Make posting criminal behaviour online an aggravating factor in sentencing

    Make using young people to commit a crime an aggravating factor in sentencing

    Allow victims of crime committed by young people to attend family group conferences

    Allow the Family Court to require young offenders to undertake community activities or education programmes

    Make cervical screening free for those aged 25 to 69

    Build two new youth justice facilities

    Review law on consent

    Abolish starting out and training wages

    Create a national endometriosis action plan

    Trial business mentorship programme for women on low and middle incomes

    Continue the free school lunches programme

    Provide visas for overstayers who have been in NZ for more than 10 years

    Build 6000 more public houses with improved accessibility

    Keep the superannuation age at 65 and continue to index Superannuation to wage growth

    Make adoption and surrogacy laws more accessible

    Continue the rollout of the HIV Action Plan

    Fund eight primary health care providers around the country to provide gender affirming care

    Review criteria for blood donation

    Introduce a nationwide informed consent model for gender affirming healthcare

    Protect intersex children from unnecessary medical intervention

    Expand eligibility for the Child Disability Allowance and Disability Allowance and increase rates

Key policiesAnimal welfareDisabilityFree expression and hate speechPasifikaRainbow communitySeniorsWomenYoung people

  • Establish youth military academies for certain young offenders

    Fund community organisations to work with certain young offenders

    Extend free breast cancer screening to those aged up to 74 years

    Create a minister for hunting and fishing

    Allow the Game Animal Council to make more decisions about game animal management

    Recategorise game animals, trout and salmon

    Establish national management plans for game animals

    Oppose recreational licencing system for game animal hunting or sea fishing

    Review game animal management programmes

    Ban mobile phone use in schools

    Allow more genetic editing and genetic modification

    Establish a dedicated biotechnology regulator

    Limit access to free prescriptions to those on low incomes and those over 65

    Fund community providers to support young people who are receiving the Jobseeker Support payment

    Increase sanctions on young people on the benefit for more than three months

    Incentivise young people to get off and stay off Jobseeker Support

    Allow live animal exports

    Maintain the Winter Energy Payment

    Increase superannuation payments annually

    Remove public transport discounts

    Pay bonus to GPs who lift immunisation rates for at-risk age groups

    Ensure meat producers have access to halal butchers

    Increase the retirement age to 67 from 2044

    Develop guidelines for ovarian cancer diagnosis

    Provide free blood sugar monitors to young people with type 1 diabetes

    Extend free postnatal stays from two to three days

    Retain recent vaping reforms

    Increase penalties for supplying vapes to under 18s

    Limit the number of vape stores to 600

    Ban vape products from being visible from the street

  • Provide free primary healthcare to under 30s

    Provide free public transport to under 30s

    Provide a $1500 credit for bikes and e-scooters to under 30s

    Introduce a card and app for citizens and residents up to the age of 30

    Introduce and incentivise a national civic service programme

    Increase income support for disabled people

    Provide free basic mental health care to under 30s

    Provide free dental care to under 30s

    Provide free basic eyecare to under 30s

    Require children to be signed up for Kiwisaver at birth

    Establish a commissioner for future generations

  • Introduce an income guarantee for people unable to work due to health conditions or disabilities

    Review legislation, policy and practice to meet international human rights obligations for children

    Require a children's interests analysis for government policy decisions

    Improve access to social services for children

    Provide free mental health services for children and young people

    Reinstate the Children's Commissioner's independent monitoring powers

    Safeguard the rights of tamariki Māori to maintain connection to their whakapapa

    Increase funding for predator, weed and pest control

    Eradicate pests on the sub-Antarctic Maukahuka Auckland Islands

    Lower the voting age to 16

    Fund advocacy services for people with disabilities

    Co-design accessibility legislation with the disabled community

    Reform the Building Code to promote accessibility

    Require television broadcasters to provide content in accessible formats

    Eliminate the use of seclusion in state care or disability services

    Regulate the vaping industry and ban disposable vapes

    Ensure adequate support for students with disabilities and additional learning needs

    Restore waterways and control freshwater pests

    Ensure equitable representation in government roles

    Reduce social and economic disparities faced by wāhine Māori

    Extend paid parental leave to 15 months

    Support pay equity settlements

    Improve pregnancy care through better funding of midwives and services

    Train healthcare workers to reduce biases

    Expand youth courts and support for youth in the justice system

    Prohibit the detention of young people with adults

    Extend hate speech protections to cover religion, gender, disability, and Rainbow communities

    Extend the Election Access Fund to disabled individuals running in local elections

    Speed up access to support for people with neurodivergent conditions

    Reinstate the 10-year residency requirement for superannuation eligibility

    Support Tagata Moana leadership on climate action

    Repeal the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982

    Replace the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme

    Deliver housing suitable for multi-generational families

    Establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities

    Develop culturally appropriate healthcare for Māori and Pasifika members of the rainbow community

    Allocate funds to organisations supporting the rainbow community

    Promote non-discriminatory access to gender-affirming healthcare

    Support intersex healthcare reform

    Reform policies to support Rainbow asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants

    Ensure public and community housing is suitable for senior citizens

    Provide integrated community health services for the wellbeing of kaumātua

    Increase superannuation payments

    Increase funding for staff in aged care facilities

    Ensure retirement homes reserve a quarter of their housing as affordable rental units

    Develop a long-term strategy for improving dementia care

    Provide equal opportunities for disabled students in tertiary education

    Provide free public transport for young people, students, apprentices, low income earners and people with mobility cards

    Strengthen animal welfare standards

    Create a new Commissioner for Animals

    Resource the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

    Phase out harmful animal-related activities

    Regulate imported animal products

    Protect taonga species in their natural habitats

    Strengthen laws against bullying and harassment in the workplace

    Implement comprehensive pay gap reporting

    Maintain the current retirement age

  • Provide personhood rights to foetuses from conception

    Ban medical abortions and withdraw public funding for abortion services

    Ban assisted dying and prioritise funding for palliative care

    Prohibit changes to a person's gender on birth certificates

    Ban education about gender in schools

    Ban gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapies for young people

    Keep the retirement age at 65

    Protect freedom of speech and assembly

    Hold a referendum on whether to make the Bill of Rights supreme law

    Be a voice for men and masculinity

  • Extend the adult criminal jurisdiction to cover 17-year-olds

    Shift responsibility for young offenders from Oranga Tamariki to Corrections

    Split Oranga Tamariki social workers' responsibilities into two new roles

    Establish a children's monitoring system that is independent from the government

    Abolish the Ministry for Pacific Peoples

    Abolish the Human Rights Commission

    Allow live animal exports

    Introduce publicly-reported performance indicators for the Oranga Tamariki CEO

    Allow caregivers to make more decisions without permission from Oranga Tamariki or birth parents

    Oppose laws against hate speech

    Allow police to issue infringement notices for shoplifting

    Require serious youth offenders to wear ankle bracelets

    Halt contributions to the NZ Super Fund

    Increase the retirement age to 67 and index it to life expectancy

    Index superannuation to the consumer price index rather than average wages

    Abolish the Ministry for Women

    Abolish the Ministry for Ethnic Communities

    Restrict access to the winter energy payment

    Repeal the Treaty of Waitangi clause in the Oranga Tamariki Act

    Restrict access to permanent sickness benefits

    Make it easier for schools to refer students to Oranga Tamariki

    Restrict the Retirement Commission's focus to retirement villages and aging-in-place

    Reverse the ban on over-the-counter pseudoephedrine

  • Retain the current age of eligibility for superannuation

    Fund charity that provides free counselling to young people

    Increase funding for elderly residential care

    Remove education about gender and sexuality from the curriculum

    Require public organisations to install both single sex and unisex toilets

    Defund sports organisations that do not have a category for people assigned female at birth

    Establish a commission of inquiry into Gloriavale

    Allow live animal exports

    Require animal welfare advisory committee to have 50 percent farmer representation

    Increase the number youth aid Police officers

    Introduce a demerit points system for youth offenders

    Provide a rates rebate to people over 65

    Provide seniors with two free doctor visits annually

    Increase the accommodation supplement for seniors

    Develop a seniors housing plan

    Establish a select committee inquiry into aged care

    Pursue cross-party agreement around dementia care

  • Reduce barriers to accessing benefits

    Introduce free public transport for all students

    Create more pathways for school leavers

    Increase diplomatic support for Pasifika leaders

    Establish a Māori accident compensation authority

    Abolish youth justice facilities by 2030

    Raise the age of criminal responsibility to 16

    Establish a Māori child protection agency

    Stop newborns from being put into state care without family, hapū or iwi consent

    Review Oranga Tamariki's child protection protocols

    Establish a Māori disability authority

    Involve Māori disability organisations in policy development

    Increase funding for Māori providers of the Enabling Good Lives programme

    Improve access to health services for disabled people

    Aim to ensure antenatal screening programmes are not biased towards termination if disability is diagnosed

    Require all new houses to be fully accessible

    Make existing public housing fully accessible

    Make Māori sign language an official language

    Increase the number of users of Māori sign-language

    Abolish the minimum wage exemption

    Abolish benefit abatement rates for disabled people and their carers

    Enable Māori disabled people to access cultural spaces and activities

    Enable Māori disabled people to participate in sport

  • Retain current public transport discounts

    Limit the number of vape stores to 600

    Increase penalties for supplying vapes to under 18s

    Continue anti-vaping messaging for young people

    Investigate options to reduce the visibility of vape products in shops

    Continue programme to provide young Māori with a path out of criminal offending

    Provide funding for apprenticeships in digital sector

    Require public reporting on the gender pay gap

    Make apprenticeship support payments for businesses permanent

    Establish a new offence for ram raiding

    Continue national family and sexual violence elimination strategy

    Strengthen legal protections against stalking and harassment

    Increase powers of Corrections staff at youth justice facilities

    Continue reforms of youth justice family group conference system

    Make posting criminal behaviour online an aggravating factor in sentencing

    Make using young people to commit a crime an aggravating factor in sentencing

    Allow victims of crime committed by young people to attend family group conferences

    Allow the Family Court to require young offenders to undertake community activities or education programmes

    Make cervical screening free for those aged 25 to 69

    Build two new youth justice facilities

    Review law on consent

    Abolish starting out and training wages

    Create a national endometriosis action plan

    Trial business mentorship programme for women on low and middle incomes

    Continue the free school lunches programme

    Provide visas for overstayers who have been in NZ for more than 10 years

    Build 6000 more public houses with improved accessibility

    Keep the superannuation age at 65 and continue to index Superannuation to wage growth

    Make adoption and surrogacy laws more accessible

    Continue the rollout of the HIV Action Plan

    Fund eight primary health care providers around the country to provide gender affirming care

    Review criteria for blood donation

    Introduce a nationwide informed consent model for gender affirming healthcare

    Protect intersex children from unnecessary medical intervention

    Expand eligibility for the Child Disability Allowance and Disability Allowance and increase rates

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