Could protecting the future of our tamariki and mokopuna be the one issue that brings New Zealand’s political parties together? A growing campaign for a Future Generations Act is gaining momentum ahead of the November 7 election, with new political support and polling showing an overwhelming majority of New Zealanders want governments to think beyond the next three years.
The Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa (WEAll Aotearoa) is welcoming a commitment from the Opportunity Party to introduce legislation requiring governments to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions.
The proposal would put future generations at the centre of government decision-making, covering everything from climate change and housing to infrastructure, public debt, healthcare and economic development.
And according to campaigners, it is an idea that could unite political parties despite their differences on other issues.
82 PERCENT OF NEW ZEALANDERS SUPPORT CHANGE
Polling conducted by Talbot Mills in August 2026 found that 82 percent of New Zealanders support a law requiring governments to consider the long-term impacts of decisions on future generations.
The findings suggest support extends across traditional political divides.
Among party supporters, the poll recorded:
- 90 percent support among Green voters.
- 89 percent support among ACT voters.
- 87 percent support among New Zealand First voters.
The results suggest that while political parties disagree on how to address major economic and social challenges, voters across the political spectrum see value in planning for the long term.
However, public support for the principle does not necessarily mean agreement on the specific powers, responsibilities or costs of a proposed law.
OPPORTUNITY PARTY THROWS ITS WEIGHT BEHIND THE PLAN
The Opportunity Party, led by Qiulae Wong, has announced that it would establish a Future Generations Act and an independent Future Generations Commissioner if elected.
The Commissioner would be appointed for a five-year term as an independent Officer of Parliament, rather than being directed by a government minister.
The role would focus on holding governments and public agencies accountable for the long-term consequences of their decisions.
Major government policies, Budgets and investment proposals would be required to disclose their potential long-term costs, benefits, risks and impacts on future generations.
That assessment would also include the cost of failing to act.
The party says the Commissioner would help coordinate public participation in developing national goals through citizens’ assemblies and other forms of consultation.
The proposal is designed to encourage greater consistency in long-term planning, even when governments change.
YOUNG LEADERS DEMAND A VOICE IN THE FUTURE
WEAll Aotearoa is leading the campaign through Tomorrow Together, an initiative involving rangatahi leaders.
Eighteen-year-old Nate Wilbourne, the organisation’s Future Generations Lead, has welcomed the Opportunity Party’s announcement.
Wilbourne says the campaign has already attracted support from younger MPs associated with National, Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, alongside former prime ministers Jim Bolger and Sir Geoffrey Palmer.
The organisation believes this demonstrates an appetite for cooperation on issues that extend beyond individual election cycles.
However, support from individual politicians should not be confused with formal policy commitments from their respective parties.
WEAll Aotearoa is now calling on all political parties to commit to the legislation before election day.
Its director, former Green MP Gareth Hughes, argues that New Zealand’s political system encourages short-term decisions because governments operate within three-year parliamentary terms.
The organisation believes a Future Generations Act could provide a framework for setting national priorities that survive changes of government.
WHAT WOULD A FUTURE GENERATIONS ACT ACTUALLY DO?
The proposed legislation would require governments to consider how their decisions could affect people who are not yet old enough to vote, or who have not yet been born.
That could mean examining the long-term consequences of major decisions involving:
- Housing: Whether today’s planning and investment decisions will leave future generations with affordable homes.
- Climate change: Whether current environmental policies will protect communities from future climate risks.
- Infrastructure: Whether transport, water, energy and public facilities are being maintained and developed for future needs.
- Healthcare: Whether investment today will reduce illness and prevent greater costs later.
- Public finances: Whether borrowing, spending and taxation decisions are sustainable over several decades.
- Education and employment: Whether rangatahi will inherit the skills, opportunities and economic conditions needed to thrive.
Supporters argue that the legislation would make governments more accountable for the long-term consequences of their decisions.
The approach would not remove the authority of elected governments to make policy choices, but it could require them to explain how those choices affect future generations.
WALES PROVIDES A MODEL FOR AOTEAROA
The campaign draws inspiration from the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The Welsh legislation established seven national wellbeing goals and requires specified public bodies to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions.
It also created a Future Generations Commissioner to promote sustainable development and encourage public institutions to think beyond immediate political priorities.
WEAll Aotearoa believes a similar approach could work in New Zealand, with national goals developed through public consultation rather than imposed by a single political party.
The organisation says this could create greater continuity in areas such as housing, climate resilience, infrastructure and economic planning.
However, the effectiveness of any New Zealand legislation would depend on the strength of its accountability mechanisms and whether governments acted on the findings.
WHAT ABOUT TE TIRITI AND MĀORI ASPIRATIONS?
For Māori, the debate over future generations has particular significance.
The responsibility to protect whenua, wai, moana and other taonga for future generations is already deeply embedded in concepts such as kaitiakitanga, whakapapa and intergenerational stewardship.
Māori economic development also frequently involves long-term planning, particularly where iwi and hapū manage assets intended to benefit successive generations.
The Opportunity Party says its proposed public participation processes would be designed in partnership with Māori and consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Its policy also proposes properly resourced engagement with iwi, hapū and Māori organisations.
That raises an important question about whether a Future Generations Act could strengthen recognition of Māori perspectives on long-term wellbeing, rather than simply introducing another layer of government reporting.
For many Māori communities, the concept of protecting the interests of mokopuna is not a new policy idea but an established responsibility.
The challenge would be ensuring that any national framework recognises tino rangatiratanga, Māori participation and the Crown’s existing Treaty obligations.
CLIMATE, HOUSING AND DEBT: THE COST OF DOING NOTHING
WEAll Aotearoa argues that many of the country’s most pressing challenges are interconnected.
Climate change can affect housing, insurance, infrastructure and local government finances.
Poor housing conditions can contribute to health problems, while underinvestment in infrastructure can leave future generations facing much larger repair and replacement costs.
Government borrowing and fiscal decisions also influence the resources available to future taxpayers.
Campaigners believe a Future Generations Act could require governments to consider those connections more systematically.
Rather than assessing decisions primarily on their immediate political or financial impact, the proposed law would encourage policymakers to examine the consequences over decades.
That could also mean placing greater emphasis on preventing problems before they become more expensive to address.
COULD THIS BE THE ONE POLICY THAT UNITES PARLIAMENT?
With the general election approaching, WEAll Aotearoa believes the proposal offers political parties an opportunity to demonstrate cooperation.
Its campaign has attracted support from politicians across the political spectrum, while the latest polling suggests strong public backing for the principle of protecting future generations.
But significant questions remain.
Would a Future Generations Commissioner have sufficient authority to influence government decisions? How would national wellbeing goals be agreed? And could legislation genuinely prevent short-term political considerations from dominating policy?
Those questions would need to be addressed before any proposal became law.
The Opportunity Party has now made a formal election commitment, while campaigners are seeking similar commitments from other parties.
ELECTION 2026: WHAT WILL WE LEAVE OUR MOKOPUNA?
As advance voting begins, the debate over a Future Generations Act introduces a different question into an election campaign dominated by the cost of living, housing, health and government spending.
Rather than focusing only on what political parties can deliver over the next three years, the campaign asks what kind of country New Zealanders want to leave behind in 20, 30 or 50 years.
For Māori whānau, that conversation is closely connected to the wellbeing of tamariki and mokopuna, the protection of natural resources and the long-term prosperity of communities.
With 82 percent public support and growing political interest, the Future Generations Act campaign is challenging politicians to look beyond election promises and consider the legacy of their decisions.
The question now is whether parties can turn broad agreement about protecting future generations into a workable law that holds governments accountable long after the election is over.
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