The election campaign trail has kicked into overdrive, with National and Labour launching their election campaigns over the weekend, while NZ First has put the future of the Waitangi Tribunal at the centre of its pitch to voters.
National leader Christopher Luxon used the party’s Auckland launch to unveil a 10-point pledge card, covering the economy, tax, law and order, education, healthcare and infrastructure.
“The difficult decisions that we took during the first term are beginning to produce results, and changing economic direction now would put those gains at risk. After years of hard work, New Zealand is turning the corner,” he said.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins launched his campaign in South Auckland, announcing a policy to write off 10 percent of eligible student loan balances for graduates who remain in New Zealand.
“This election is about the cost of living. This election is about your cost of living. It’s about the couple who work full-time and still have to check their bank balance before they go to the supermarket,” he said.
Meanwhile, NZ First leader Winston Peters announced the party would introduce legislation within its first 100 days in government to abolish the Waitangi Tribunal.
Speaking to a crowd in Tauranga, he made the announcement soon after he was heckled by an attendee.
“The Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal has become a make-work organisation. The days of the tribunal acting as an authority above Parliament will be over,” he said.
It would be replaced by a Treaty of Waitangi Completion Commission, tasked with finalising claims made before 2008. Contemporary claims and modern policy issues would instead be handled by a strengthened Ministry of Māori Development.
Peters’ announcement comes as the role of Te Tiriti remains a major issue for Māori voters.
The latest Whakaata Māori-Curia poll found 72 percent of Māori voters believed the Government had weakened the Treaty partnership, while just 12 percent believed it had strengthened it.
The poll also found 65 percent supported developing a written constitution with a role for Te Tiriti.
Māori-Crown relations ranked as the second-biggest issue for Māori voters, behind the cost of living, which was identified by 42 percent of respondents.
NZ First’s pledge adds another point of difference to an election campaign where the future of Te Tiriti and Māori-Crown relations are already prominent issues.
With voting due to begin ahead of election day on November 7, the parties now have just weeks to make their case to voters.
