On this week’s special dedicated to the Whakaata Māori-Curia poll, we took a look at all the ups and downs of the first poll kicking off Whakaata Māori’s Whakatau 26 coverage.
Commissioned by Whakaata Māori as part of its Whakatau 2026 election coverage series, the survey was conducted from August 29 to September 10 by Curia Market Research, which also polls for the National Party and the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.
The poll surveyed 1,000 Māori voters across both the general and Māori rolls, including 500 by phone and 500 through an online panel. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1% with a 95% confidence level.
Māori voters are having their say in a new poll looking at their views on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, constitutional change, political parties, and the people they trust to represent them.
The poll asked whether Māori voters believe the Government has strengthened or weakened the Treaty partnership; a massive 72% of all respondents said the government had weakened the partnership.
According to Te Ao Māori News producer Whatitiri Te Wake, that’s opening up questions about how Māori see the current relationship between Māori and the Crown.
“We’ve had some big political movements, we’ve had the mobilisation of our iwi who have publicly, in big numbers, displayed that dissatisfaction, so when I see that figure I’m not [surprised].”
The survey also looks at whether voters think it is time for Aotearoa to develop a written constitution, including a clearly defined role for Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Putting political parties in the spotlight
Political parties are also put under the spotlight. Māori voters were asked how confident they are that Labour would prioritise Māori-specific issues if it returned to Government, while the Green Party’s election promises are tested on whether they are seen as different, ambitious, or realistic.
The poll also looks at voting intention, asking which party Māori voters would be most likely to support if an election was held today.
According to Rukuwai Tipene-Allen, one of the key aspects of the last three years was the determination by Māori to have their say through the select committee process and the groundswell of support that led to the national hīkoi in 2024.
“It really goes to show how much Māori have been engaged this term with this conversation, and that they’ve found ways, regardless of how they felt the select committee process has gone for them, or regardless of how they’ve seen bill after bill go under urgency. Māori have remained committed to carrying on, pushing these lines, and saying, ‘hey, you can’t ignore us.’”
Trust, leadership, and kitchen table issues
But party support is only one part of the picture. Voters were also asked which political figures they trust to represent the interests and aspirations of Māori, giving an insight into whether trust in individual politicians lines up with support for their political party.
On the Māori roll, voters rated Te Pāti Māori as having the highest party vote at 29%, followed by Labour on 27% and the Greens on 16%. NZ First was on 6%, and the Te Tai Tokerau Party on 4%. National and The Opportunities Party registered 2% respectively, while ACT received zero party support on the Māori roll (5% were unsure).
Asked for the biggest issue facing Māori, 42% identified the cost of living. Māori-Crown relations was a distant second at 15%, followed by health and housing at 7% each.
According to Te Ao Māori reporter for The Post, Māni Dunlop, while wider political concerns remained key, the cost of living was without a doubt the number one issue for Māori voters.
“Are these the issues that people are talking about at the kitchen table? And it appears yes,” says Dunlop.
“All parties must also think of the idea of working with Māori; Māori really want to work together, you can see it,” adds Tipene-Allen.
