Highlights and Wrap-up for Co-Leader of The Green Party in 2025.
Green Party and Marama Davidson Put Social Justice, Te Tiriti and Climate Equity at the Forefront in 2025
Throughout 2025, the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, alongside co-leader Marama Davidson, focused heavily on issues of social justice, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, climate action and economic equity, positioning themselves as a consistent voice challenging both government policy and structural inequality.
The year saw the Greens repeatedly raise concerns about decisions they say have disproportionately impacted Māori, low-income households, disabled people and renters, while advocating for long-term, systemic change rather than short-term political fixes.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori Rights
A central focus for Marama Davidson in 2025 was the protection of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. She was outspoken in opposing efforts to weaken or reinterpret Treaty principles in legislation, warning that such moves risked undermining Māori rights, participation and partnership with the Crown.
Davidson consistently framed Te Tiriti as a foundation for fairness and collective wellbeing, rather than a barrier to progress, and argued that honouring the Treaty is essential to addressing inequality across housing, health, justice and environmental policy.
Cost of Living and Economic Inequality
The Green Party spent much of 2025 highlighting the widening gap between wages and the real cost of living. Davidson and her colleagues criticised what they described as policy settings that favoured landlords, banks and large corporates, while leaving working families struggling with rent, food and energy costs.
The party advocated for stronger income support, fairer tax settings, and a living wage approach, arguing that poverty is a political choice rather than an inevitability. Māori and Pasifika households, the Greens said, were bearing the brunt of inaction.
Housing and Homelessness
Housing was another major priority. The Greens pushed for large-scale public and community housing builds, rent controls and stronger tenant protections. Davidson frequently highlighted the over-representation of Māori among those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, linking the crisis to decades of underinvestment and market-driven policy.
The party argued that housing should be treated as a human right, not a commodity, and called for iwi and Māori providers to be central to delivering whānau-centred housing solutions.
Climate Change and Environmental Justice
Climate action remained core to the Greens’ kaupapa in 2025. Davidson emphasised that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but a justice issue-one that affects Māori, coastal communities and low-income households first and hardest.
The party opposed policies they said weakened environmental protections and supported stronger action on emissions reduction, freshwater protection and biodiversity. Davidson regularly invoked kaitiakitanga, stressing intergenerational responsibility and the protection of taonga for future generations.
Violence Prevention and Community Safety
Marama Davidson continued to advocate strongly on issues of family and sexual violence, focusing on prevention, community-led solutions and survivor support. She called for better resourcing of kaupapa Māori and specialist services, arguing that punitive approaches alone do not create safety.
Her work in this area often drew attention-both supportive and critical-but she maintained that addressing the root causes of violence requires honesty about inequality, power and harm.
Disability, Care and Social Services
The Greens also raised concerns about the treatment of disabled people and carers in 2025. The party welcomed legal victories for family carers and pushed for systems that recognise whānau-based care, particularly for Māori.
Davidson criticised cuts and restructures in health and social services, warning they risked deepening inequities and leaving vulnerable communities without adequate support.
A Consistent Voice
While the Green Party did not hold government power in 2025, Marama Davidson remained one of Parliament’s most vocal advocates on issues of equity, climate justice and Māori rights.
Supporters say her leadership ensured that conversations about Te Tiriti, inequality and environmental responsibility stayed firmly on the political agenda. Critics disagreed with her approach, but few disputed that the Greens played a significant role in shaping debate during a challenging year for many New Zealanders.
As 2025 draws to a close, the issues championed by the Green Party and Marama Davidson continue to resonate-reflecting broader questions about what kind of future Aotearoa wants to build, and who that future is designed to serve.
