The Green Party has emerged from a busy weekend of Election 2026 announcements, with co-leader Marama Davidson joining Ata Tū to discuss new transport policies and polling showing significant support for the party among Māori voters.
The Greens have announced plans to expand intercity passenger rail, including an overnight Auckland-Wellington service, passenger trains between Christchurch and Dunedin, and improvements and an extension of Te Huia through to Tauranga.
The proposal forms part of a wider transport platform that also includes cheaper public transport, greater investment in buses and rail, and expanded services between regional communities. The Greens say the programme is intended to give people more alternatives to private vehicles and reduce the cost of getting around.
At the same time, the latest MATA-Horizon poll has provided an interesting snapshot of Māori voting intentions. Among respondents enrolled on the Māori roll, 28 percent selected the Greens for their intended party vote, compared with Labour on 27 percent and Te Pāti Māori on 16 percent.
The poll surveyed 1,089 Māori aged 18 and over between 8 and 18 September, covering respondents on both the Māori and general rolls. The overall margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points. Among Māori respondents on the general roll, Labour recorded 38 percent for the party vote and the Greens 17 percent.
With the election scheduled for 7 November, Davidson says the Greens are campaigning on cost-of-living pressures, transport, climate, public services and policies affecting whānau Māori.
The poll remains a snapshot rather than a prediction of the election result, but it adds another dimension to an increasingly competitive contest for the Māori party vote as campaigning enters its final weeks.
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